Sugar alone in not viable, focus on by-products, Road Transport Minister Gadkari tells cooperatives

Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari urged sugar cooperatives to shift focus from producing sugar alone to utilizing its by-products for the energy sector. He explained that the prices of sugar are determined in Brazil, making it an unreliable option for the Indian market. Gadkari also stressed the importance of improving recovery rates, as even a 1% increase would generate significant revenue for sugarcane farmers.

He encouraged cooperative leaders to explore more by-products from sugarcane and appealed to the audience to see the urban-centric nature of the system and the need to utilize technology to overcome its challenges. The minister also highlighted Brazil's large land holdings, which allow for lower production costs, and suggested reviving closed sugar mills to directly convert sugarcane juice into ethanol.

However, Gadkari advised against producing sugar and instead recommended focusing on developing projects to convert sugarcane juice into ethanol. He also blamed the recent price rise on a shortage and warned that India needs to produce 280-300 lakh tonnes of sugar per year to maintain stability in prices.