Vizianagaram: Good days ahead for Bheemasingi sugars

Bheemasingi (Vizianagaram): Bheemasingi Sugar Factory is likely to get facelift as the state government has sanctioned around Rs 8.4 crores to pay the pending bills of the farmers. The government has committed to modernise the factory with advanced mechanism to increase the production and productivity. It is the only sugar factory being operated under cooperative sector in the district supporting the sugar cane farmers.

The 45-year-old factory is running with outdated machines and technology. Even the firm is not in a position to pay cane bills for farmers, who supplied produce. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy assured the farmers of this area that he would help renovate the firm if he comes into power.

Around 20,000 farmers from Jami, L Kota, S Kota, Vizianagaram and Padmanabham mandal of Vizag district are supplying cane but the number of farmers and crop area is gradually decreasing in the past few years as the management failed to pay the bills in right time. Actually, the crushing capacity of the firm is around 1.2 lakh tonnes to 1.5 lakh tonnes based on the availability of cane but due to the poor performance and even the farming area of cane is also declining for the past few years as the farmers are not happy with the management for not getting bills on time.

Victor Raju, MD of Bheemasingi sugars, stated "The technical experts committee appointed by the government has visited the company and assessed the condition of the firm. We are confident that the government would sanction funds to upgrade the technology and mechanism to increase the performance of company. Then it would be more helpful to farmers and they need not worry about their bills and it would support the farmers in all aspects."