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By:

Rajendra Joshi

3 December 2024 at 9:20:26 am

Centre pushes for early sugarcane crushing

Mills seek special subsidy Kolhapur: Despite an estimated 30-40 lakh tonnes of sugar being available in excess of domestic demand, the Centre is stepping up efforts to keep sugar prices under control. The Union Food Ministry has urged Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka to advance the 2026-27 sugarcane crushing season so that fresh sugar reaches the market before the existing stock is exhausted. Sugar mills, however, say an early start will come at a cost. They are seeking special...

Centre pushes for early sugarcane crushing

Mills seek special subsidy Kolhapur: Despite an estimated 30-40 lakh tonnes of sugar being available in excess of domestic demand, the Centre is stepping up efforts to keep sugar prices under control. The Union Food Ministry has urged Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka to advance the 2026-27 sugarcane crushing season so that fresh sugar reaches the market before the existing stock is exhausted. Sugar mills, however, say an early start will come at a cost. They are seeking special financial assistance to compensate for the likely fall in sugar recovery and the reduction in cane weight that could result from crushing in October. India produced around 280 lakh tonnes of sugar last season. The season began with stocks of nearly 50 lakh tonnes, while annual domestic consumption is estimated at around 280 lakh tonnes. With about 35 lakh tonnes expected to remain in stock by September 30, the Centre wants the new season’s production to start flowing into the market without waiting for the traditional crushing cycle. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka account for nearly 80 per cent of India’s sugar production. The Union Food Ministry has therefore written to the chief ministers of the three states, asking them to bring forward the start of the 2026-27 crushing season. The push comes against the backdrop of a sharp movement in sugar prices. Ex-mill prices had earlier climbed to around Rs 68 per kg, pushing retail prices close to Rs 80 per kg. Following a series of measures by the Centre, ex-mill prices have since declined to around Rs 41 per kg. Yet, the government is looking at further measures to bring prices down and ensure that stocks move into the market. One such measure has been the approval of imports of one million tonnes of raw sugar. Since initial applications covered only around eight lakh tonnes, the Centre has invited applications for the remaining quota. It has also reduced the permissible stockholding limit for traders from 400 tonnes to 200 tonnes. The next major point of discussion will be the meeting convened by Union Food and Public Distribution Secretary Sanjeev Chopra with the sugar industry in New Delhi on September 8. The secretaries of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have also been invited. West Indian Sugar Mills Association (WISMA) president B. B. Thombre said the Centre was pushing for crushing to begin around the middle of October. Traditionally, most mills in Maharashtra begin operations around November 15, largely because sugarcane harvesting labour becomes available only after Diwali. The industry is, however, willing to explore an early start between October 20 and 25. But early crushing could have significant implications. According to Thombre, sugar recovery could fall by around 1.5 percentage points, while the weight of sugarcane supplied by farmers could decline by 10-15 per cent. The industry will therefore seek special assistance for cane crushed between October 15 and November 15. At the September 8 meeting, it plans to demand a subsidy of Rs 500 per tonne for sugar mills and Rs 300 per tonne directly for sugarcane farmers.

Now, Kamra mocks ‘Viksit Bharat’

Mumbai: Undaunted by protests and clamour to jail him from the ruling ally Shiv Sena, standup comedian Kunal Kamra hit back with a new video – this time targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the state and centre, as well as right-wing outfits.


The new parody song is “Hum honge kangaal ek din…” which Kamra presented as the new Anthem of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India), comes with a higher dose of satire than the one ostensibly targeting Shiv Sena’s Deputy CM Eknath Shinde two days ago which sparked a nationwide furore.


Without batting an eyelid, Kamra sings it to the accompaniment of a guitar - and peals of audience laughter - and dares the powers-that-be which have summoned him for a probe in Mumbai.


The number has barbs and stings, like: ‘Mann me andhvishwas, Desh ka satyanash’; ‘Honge nange charo aur’, ‘Karenge dange charo or’, ‘Police ke pange charo aur’; ‘Man me Nathuram, Harkate Asaram’; “Hoga gai ka prachar', 'Leke haathon me hathiyar’; ‘Hoga Sangh ka shishtachar', 'Janata berozgar', 'Garibi ki kagaar’; and closing with the crescendo ‘Hum honge kangal ek din...’.


For effect and views, Kamra has strategically interspersed it with videos of the vociferous protests against him, the raw violence perpetrated by Shiv Sena activists at the Hotel Unicontinental (Khar), the naked vandalism, his effigies being burnt at several places.


Not surprisingly, in barely a couple of hours (till 5.30 pm), Kamra’s new video got more than five-lakh eyeballs, 30K-plus likes, and around 2K shares.


The shooting venue or date of the latest video is unclear since rowdy Shiv Sainiks had vandalized The Habitat Comedy Club in the hotel and later a civic squad came and razed certain alleged unauthorized portions there.


Buoyed by support and sympathy from all over the country and outside, the new video virtually mocks and cocks a snook at the Mahayuti allies or the police which have called for a 'grilling' after his tight ‘roasting’ of Shinde.


Currently in Puducherry, Kamra has assured full cooperation and sought a week’s time from the Mumbai Police to come and record his statement in the issue on the boil for three days now.


The Shiv Sena activists continued to slap dire warnings to Kamra and how they would deal with him ‘Sena-style’ if he refused to apologize to Shinde.

Another FIR was registered against Kamra in Dombivli police station on Monday.


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