During the ‘Sugar Conclave and National Efficiency Award 2022-23,’ National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSF) Chairman Harshvardhan Patil presented several demands related to sugar cooperatives before Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.
Patil not only sought Shah’s intervention to increase the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar but also urged for an increase in the procurement price of ethanol produced from B-heavy molasses and sugarcane syrup.
In his welcome address at the event held on Saturday, Patil informed Shah about the 10-year roadmap being prepared by the federation to strengthen India’s sugar cooperatives and requested time from the Union Cooperation Minister for a detailed briefing on the draft road map.
At the same time, the NFCSF Chairman was full of praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in particular, and Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, in general, for their historic decisions favoring the sugar industry.
Patil expressed his gratitude for the relief of about Rs 10,000 crore given to sugar cooperatives to claim payments made to sugarcane farmers, as well as for the provision of working capital loans from the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to strengthen cooperative sugar mills.
He also called for the creation of a Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) to assist the sugar industry during market fluctuations, facilitate sugar exports, ensure timely payment of cane prices, and address other related issues.