Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Dec 12: Dakshina Kannada cooperative sugar factory, Brahmavar near here, which is the only asset of the farmers of twin districts of DK and Udupi is closed since 2006. Many protests were being staged in order to save this factory which has a land area of 110 acres. The aim of the then government was to start the Varahi irrigation project to help the farmers to grow sugarcane and make them financially independent. Both the Varahi project and the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Brahmavar sugar factory were done at the same time.

Brahmavar sugar factory started production on January 22, 1985 and was crushing 1250 metric tonnes of sugarcane per day.

However, the Varahi irrigation project did not keep the same pace as that of the factory and failed to provide the much needed water for sugarcane cultivation for the farmers. If the Varahi water was available to the farmers during that time, the farmers would not have hesitated to grow sugarcane. Unfortunately, when the water was provided through Varahi, the sugar factory had closed down. The one and only hope of the farmers’ war marching towards darkness.

The protests that were taken out to restart the factory gave some minor assurances but did not meet the larger aim. Many people wanted to grab the 110 acres of valuable land on which the factory is situated. However, the president and director of Brahmavar Sugar factory were determined not to sell the plant and restart production in the factory.

Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had showed interest in the revival of the Brahmavar sugar factory when he had arrived to the town in September 2018 for the Udupi district development survey meeting. He had also advised to grow sugarcane in the vicinity of the sugar plant as the water from Varahi is available now.

According to the advice of the chief minister, the programme of distributing sugarcane shoots of good breed and high yield seeds, that were bought from V C Farm of Mandya, freely to the farmers was done on Monday, December 10 in the compound of the sugar factory.

This time the sugarcane saplings will be planted on an area of 200 acres for the seeds. From the next year, the seeds will be produced from that sugarcane and will be given to interested farmers. This means that the crushing of sugarcane in the factory will start in the year 2020-21. As the farmers start growing the sugarcane, the renovation work of the sugar factory will also start. Around Rs 30 crore is required for the renovation of the present factory. The machines in the existing plant are completely rusted and will not fit into the present scheme of computerized system. So new machines will be procured according to the information given by president of the sugar factory board, Jayasheela Shetty.

Jayasheela Shetty says, "An extensive project report with regards to the revival of the plant is already done in 2017 by Mitcon consultancy and engineering services, Pune. Appeal is already submitted to the state government for financial assistance of Rs 30 crore. The use of latest technology and machines will benefit both the farmers as well as the factory."

"Now the water from Varahi river is flowing up to Shiriyara. Tender is also called for traditional irrigation. Water will be available to grow crop on an area of 15,000 acres. 16 TMC water will be available from Varahi. Good use of the river water should be done instead of the water flowing back into the river. Sugarcane is a profitable crop. Improved breed of seeds are available in the market. We can get good income by making use of them. The factory will pay the farmers the rate as per the government's directions. So the farmers have to make an attempt to grow sugarcane," added Jayasheela Shetty.

S Dinakar Shetty and Deviprasad Shetty, directors and managing director Praveen Kumar were present on the occasion.