Baghpat: Farmers supplying sugarcane to a mill in Baghpat have raised concerns over delayed payments, with dues amounting to around Rs 350 crore still pending even after the crushing season has ended, Bhaskar reported.
The Malakpur sugar mill recently concluded its current crushing season, during which it processed nearly 1.03 crore quintals of sugarcane-about 25 lakh quintals less than the previous year. Operations at the mill were shut down on Thursday night following the completion of crushing.
Despite having sufficient stock of sugar, molasses and other by-products, payments to farmers remain unpaid, leading to growing dissatisfaction among growers.
Mill unit head Vipin Chaudhary said that dues from the previous season have already been cleared, but payments for the current season are still outstanding. He added that the mill currently holds stock worth around ₹200 crore, which is yet to be sold.
Around 30,000 farmers supplied sugarcane to the mill this season, covering more than 26,000 hectares of cultivation.
The management has assured that the stock will be sold before the next crushing season and the pending payments will be cleared, aiming to prevent financial difficulties for farmers.