KADAPA: Profits to be earned by Kadapa Cooperative Sugars Ltd. at Chennur will be passed on to farmers, who are shareholders of the factory, Collector G. Asok Kumar promised on Friday.

Speaking after launching sugarcane crushing in the factory, revived after a decade's closure, he urged farmers to ensure supply of two lakh tonnes of sugarcane for crushing in the factory next year. Assuring bank loans to sugarcane growers, he urged them to raise sugarcane, in place of groundnut crop which caused them losses.

Prolonged closure for a decade damaged most machinery in the unit, he said. Machinery repairs were taken up on September 12 last year and slow-firing process was launched on January 24, he stated. He urged farmers and workers to strive for the factory's development for their own good. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was invited to launch cane crushing, but he could not take part due to pre-occupations, the Collector said.

Initiative

The factory was revived on the Chief Minister's initiative and efforts of public representatives, in order to boost agri-based industries, Mydukur MLA D.L. Ravindra Reddy said.

Urging farmers to ensure enhancement of crushing capacity to five lakh tonnes, he said the unit would generate 10 MW of power and methanol gas used in petrol. Contention of farmers that lower sugarcane support price was fixed to privatise the factory, Dr. Reddy stated.

In tune with Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy's electoral promise, the unit was revived, Kadapa MLA Md. Ahmedullah asserted.

The Collector and MLAs put sugarcane in crushing machinery and later went round the factory. Managing Director of the factory C. Rami Reddy, Kadapa RDO R. Prabhakar Pillai, Chennur MRO Pullaiah, farmers and workers took part.

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