VELLORE: About 1.25 lakh metric tonnes of sugarcane cultivated over 5,045 acres are expected to be crushed at the Vellore Cooperative Sugar Mill during the 2025–26 crushing season, according to details shared by the district administration. Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R Gandhi inaugurated the crushing season on Tuesday.
The mill has a daily crushing capacity of 2,500 metric tonnes, with a total seasonal capacity of 4.30 lakh metric tonnes. Explaining the lower target for the season, Minister Gandhi said sugarcane cultivation has been on the decline as farmers are increasingly opting for paddy cultivation.
He said the price of sugarcane, inclusive of the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) fixed by the union government and the incentive provided by the state government, has been fixed at Rs 3,639.50 per tonne.
During the 2024–25 season, the mill crushed 1,27,679 metric tonnes of sugarcane, producing 1,18,430 quintals of sugar. In addition, 86.17 lakh units of electricity were exported to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. Sugarcane was procured from 1,948 farmers, and the entire procurement amount of Rs 40.23 crore was disbursed.
In the undivided Vellore district, cooperative sugar mills functioned at Vellore, Tirupattur and Ambur. However, following the trifurcation of the district, all the mills except the one at Vellore have been permanently closed.
In November, sugarcane farmers in Ranipet had demanded the immediate reopening of the Vellore mill, citing their inability to crush harvested crops, which they said led to damage and losses. An official in charge of the mill had then stated that operations were suspended due to insufficient cane availability and that crushing usually peaks during December and January, when the mill would be opened.