Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) and National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) have offered their support to the government to begin crushing operation 10-15 days earlier in October so that supply in domestic market improves during festival season.
This comes at a time when the country faces low sugar availability, with the prospect of limited import looming large. However, both the industry bodies want the government to announce incentives for compensating their financial losses.
In a joint letter addressed to Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Thursday, ISMA Director-General Deepak Ballani and NFCSF Managing Director Prakash Naiknavare said that as the industry’s decision to advance crushing has been taken primarily in the national interest to strengthen sugar availability and moderate prices during the festive season, the government should support in enabling mills to absorb the associated financial and operational burden.
