UP government revives Mathura sugar mill, boosts ethanol

The Uttar Pradesh government is starting new projects to help sugarcane farmers. They plan to reopen the Chhata sugar mill in Mathura and build a new ethanol distillery in Gorakhpur. Both projects aim to increase sugar and ethanol production in the region. The Chhata mill has been closed since 2009. The new program will improve its daily production capacity from 2,000 to 4,900 tonnes of sugar. This upgrade is expected to significantly raise farmers’ incomes in the area. Local farmer Satyaveer Singh supports the initiative, saying it will greatly benefit the community. In Gorakhpur, the government will invest Rs 90 crore to create a 120-kilo liter per day (KPLD) ethanol distillery at the Pipraich sugar mill. Construction will start once the implementing agency is chosen. The Yogi Adityanath administration has also been consistent in making payments to sugarcane farmers. In the past eight years, they have paid a record Rs 2.80 lakh crore to farmers, compared to just Rs 66.70 crore between 1995 and 2017 under previous governments. For the next financial year, Rs 475 crore has been allocated for these payments. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlights the importance of sugarcane farming for the state’s economy. Currently, the sugarcane industry contributes Rs 1.09 lakh crore to Uttar Pradesh's economic activities.