Sugarcane crushing season in N.Karnataka to start from Nov 8: Minister Shivanand Patil

HUBLI
The sugarcane crushing season in North Karnataka will start a week earlier this year, on November 8, as per an order from the state government, announced Textiles, Sugarcane Development, and Agricultural Marketing Minister Shivanand Patil. Previously, the season was scheduled to begin on November 15. This decision comes after requests from farmers and mill owners. In South Karnataka, the crushing season had already commenced three months ago.
Patil also revealed that the procurement of tur dal under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme, which had previously ended, will now continue with an additional 32,000 metric tonnes being purchased. Similarly, soybean procurement has been extended. For the first time, support prices for soybeans, tur dal, sunflower, and groundnuts have been announced simultaneously.
On the status of the APMC Act, the Minister shared that the repeal of the act has led to a profit of Rs 200 crore for the 166 APMCs in the state.
In Karnataka, around 6 lakh hectares of sugarcane are ready for harvest, and 80 mills are set to begin crushing. The support price for sugarcane has been increased to Rs 3,400 per tonne, up from Rs 3,150 last year.
Patil also discussed the new Textile Act, emphasizing plans to address staff shortages and encourage the younger generation to continue the weaving profession. The government is promoting this sector through the Neekar Samman Yojana, offering incentives and free electricity.