PATNA: Sugarcane growers in Bihar are elated over State Sugarcane Industries Minister Sanjay Kumar’s announcement on the establishment of two sugar mills this year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi would lay the foundation stone for sugar mills at Sakri in Madhubani and Raiyam in Darbhanga districts on November 20.
"The State government is committed to fulfilling its resolve to open sugar mills in the state that would not only create employment opportunities in the State but would also increase sugarcane farmers’ income," he added. The Minister said that the two sugar mills of Sakri and Raiyam will be run by the Cooperative Department.
The government is also trying every possible measure to open more sugar mills in the State. “Investors are in touch with the department’s senior officials. We have set a target of setting up 25 new sugar mills in the next five years in the State,” he added.
Kumar said that it would take one to two years to begin production at these sugar mills. He said the sugar mills have made cent per cent payment of sugarcane dues amounting to Rs 2137.83 crore to sugarcane farmers in the crushing season of 2025-26.
On payment to sugarcane growers, the Minister said that the State cabinet has already approved the payment of the outstanding principal sugarcane dues amounting to Rs 43 crore for previous crushing seasons to sugarcane farmers in the Sasamusa area.
“The decision will facilitate the revival and reopening of the Sasamusa Sugar Mill in Gopalganj. The initiative is expected to attract investors for the re-establishment of the Sasamusa Sugar Mill”, he added.
"The government has also approved the proposal of taking over the possession of 266 acres of land belonging to the closed Motipur Sugar Mill in Muzaffarpur from M/s Indian Potash Ltd," the Minister said.
He added that a new sugar mill, a sugarcane research centre, and other industrial units will be established on this land.
The State government has approved the “Bihar Sugar Industry Investment Promotion Policy-2026” which will facilitate the setting up of an integrated Sugar Complexes that will house new sugar mills, distilleries, cogeneration power plants, and Compressed Biogas (CBG) units, Kumar said and added that these projects will boost production of sugar, ethanol, electricity, and biogas, while promoting capital investment, generating employment, and benefiting sugarcane farmers."
With a view to establishing new sugar mills in the State, the State government has signed MOUs with three of the country’s leading institutions in the field of sugarcane research and technology- Sugarcane Breeding Institute (SBI), Coimbatore, Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), Pune and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Patna- for the overall development of sugarcane production.
These MOUs aim to provide technical assistance and support the production of sugarcane seed varieties suitable for the State’s agro-climatic conditions.
