BELAGAVI: Stating that the sugar industry will continue to prosper in the country even in the future, Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil informed that the state government has been getting revenue to the tune of Rs 25,000-35,000 crore from it.
Patil was handing over awards to sugar factories at a programme organised by S Nijalingappa Sugar Institute here on Friday, where he underlined the key role played by the sector in the global scientific revolution. “A large number of people were able to secure jobs from the sugar industry in India,” he said.
Patil advised sugar factories to protect the larger interests of farmers in the state. He reminded them of a time when the country had to import sugar, but today, sugarcane is a major crop that has contributed to the country’s economy. He added that Karnataka is in second place in terms of growing sugarcane in the country at present, and is poised to attain the top spot.
Claiming that sugarcane was the only crop that fetched better dividends for farmers, Patil appealed to the latter to explore various modern scientific agriculture technologies to improve yield, besides practising traditional agricultural techniques.
Earlier, the minister presented awards to Sameerwadi Godavari Sugar Factory of Bagalkot and Halasiddanath Sugar Factory of Nipani for their technical discipline.
The first prize among the sugar factories (North-West region) was presented to Shivashakti Sugars, the second to Krishna Sugars of Sankanatti and the third prize was bagged by Renuka Sugars of Munavalli. In the North-East region, KPR Sugars of Kalaburagi and Mahatma Gandhi SSKN Sugars of Kalaburagi bagged the first and second prizes, respectively.