BELGAUM: Belgaum district which is known as the bowl of sugar is going to get additional 18 new sugar factories out of which the central government has shown green signal for 9 sugar foctories to start in the district. At present the district has 20 sugar factories out of which 7 are on co-operative basis and 13 are private managed sugar factories.
Interstingly all the 18 new sugar factories, applied for the licence are private managed fcctories.Political influenctional persons are behind to start these factories.
The district has about 2 lakh hectre area where sugarcane is being grown. Several farmers also send the sugarcane to the factories located in Maharashtra and Goa states.
Two sugar factories namely Markandeya Co Operative Sugar Facotry of Kakati near Belgaum and Sangam Co Operative Sugar Factory at Hidkal are not yet comleted their construction though they are being given licence 20 years ago.The construction work of Shirguppi Sugar Factory at Kagwad is almost over and it would start functioning from the coming season.
The new sugar factories which are going to come up in the district are : Om Sugars of Jainapur in Chikkodi taluk, Hemras Sugars of Hudli in Belgaum taluk, Sri Basaveshwar Sugars of Baliger in Athani taluk, Soubhagyalaxmi Sugars of Hirenandi in Gokak taluk, Godavari Sugars of Koujalagi in Gokak taluk, Inamadar Sugars of Hirekop in Savadatti taluk, Beereshwar Sugars of Alagawadi in Raibag taluk, Sangameshwar Sugars of Devapurhatti in Raibag taluk and RN Bagwan Sugars of Beedi-Golihalli in Khanapur taluk.
The central government also has given permission to 8 sugar factories to be started at at Bijapur distirct , 4 at Bagalkot distirct , 2 at Bidar district , each one at Gulburga, Dharwad, Haveri, Shimoga and Yadgiri districts.
A sources in government said that at present the state has 62 sugar factories out of which 24 run on co operative basis and 36 by private management. 2 sugar factories are under the public sector.
The sources said that Karnataka has produced 365 lakh tonnes of sugar during 2010-11 season where as Maharashtra produced 810 lakh tonnes , Uttar Pradesh 663 lakh tonnes and all other states 450 lakh tonnes.