In a record of sorts, the Ammundi-based 2,500 TCD (tonnes crushed daily) Vellore Cooperative will start this year’s crushing season without any pending dues to its registered farmers, according to mill chairman M Anandan.

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Vellore:

Revealing this to DT Next, Anandan said, “we hope to start crushing from December 23 as we have already registered 1.15 lakh tonnes cane from the normal registered tonnage of slightly more than 4 lakh tonnes.” 

Registered areas in all sugar mills dwindled due to cane farmers not being paid their dues. With the Vellore mill creating this record, there have been demands from farmers attached to other mills to attach their areas to the Vellore facility so that they stand to benefit. 

“Hence this year also we will be taking cane from the Polur private sugar mill,” Anandan said adding “totally we expect to receive 25,000 tonnes at the rate of around 200 tonnes daily.” 

This year too, “efforts would be made to attract non registered cane in the Vellore mill’s area to the unit,” Anandan said and added, “like last year we will ensure that no cane from Vellore/TN goes to neighbouring Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh.”