Lucknow, Sep 7 (IANS): In a move to give impetus to the sugarcane industry, the Yogi Adityanath-led government is prioritising the modernisation and expansion of sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh.

Accordingly, the state government has laid out a blueprint to upgrade the sugar mills in Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar to enhance their efficiency and capabilities.

The initiative was discussed at a high-level meeting led by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh on Saturday where the state government proposed investment of Rs 84.77 crore for the modernisation and marginal expansion of the Kisan Sahkari Sugar Mill in Baghpat.

The project involves increasing the mill's crushing capacity from 2,500 TCD to 3,000 TCD, with a financial arrangement comprising 50 per cent share capital from the state government and 50 per cent as loan.

The government allocated Rs 65 crore in the 2024-25 budget for this purpose. The modernisation is essential due to the ample availability of sugarcane in the mill's command area, with expectations of crushing about 5.01 lakh tonnes in the next five years, up from the current 4.82 lakh tonnes.

Similarly, a proposal to invest Rs 88.02 crore for the expansion and technical upgrade of the Ganga Kisan Sahkari Sugar Mill Ltd. in Morna, Muzaffarnagar, was also discussed.

This mill will also see an increase in crushing capacity from 2,500 TCD to 3,000 TCD.

The modernisation of the Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar sugar mills have been planned to ramp up their crushing capacity. It will enable the mills to crush up to 5.40 lakh tonnes of sugarcane over the next five years, compared to the current 4.85 lakh tonnes.

These upgrades are expected to bring significant benefits, including reduced steam and power consumption, timely crushing of sugarcane, bagasse savings, and improved sugar recovery.