Mumbai, Oct 18 – Stating that sugar factory owners in Maharashtra are against export of sugar with a quota system which would bring limitations on factories, chief minister Eknath Shinde has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to continue with the current open export policy for sugar. He has requested the Prime Minister to intervene and ask the commerce ministry and consumer protection as well as the food and civil supplies ministry to take appropriate decisions in this regard.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, chief minister Shinde has said that after adopting the open policy for sugar export in 2021-22 India became a major sugar exporter in the World. It has resulted in increasing foreign exchange reserves and also provided financial stability to sugar factories.
Stating that it is learnt that a quota system would be introduced, the chief minister has said that the sugar factories would be at the receiving end with this system. He said that the crushing season in the country comes to an end in March after which the season in Brazil starts from April 1st which is why the competition is created which helps sugar exporting countries and the Government is not required to make any financial assistance for export. But with the quota system, the factories which are not interested in exports would transfer their quota for making money to other factories. He has said that the quota system would create unnecessary administrative hurdles and would result in lack of transparency and lack of healthy business.
Stating that in 2021-22 the prices of crude oil are more which is why it is beneficial for Brazil to concentrate on ethanol production than going for sugar chief minister Shinde has said that it is likely that the crude oil price would come down, Brazil would give thrust on sugar production instead of ethanol which would result in losses to our country. Pointing out that whether it is Maharashtra state cooperative sugar factories federation or National Federation of cooperative sugar factories and the private sugar mills, they all are in favour of open sugar export policy, the Chief minister has urged Prime minister to give directions to concerned ministries to take appropriate decisions.
