Pune [Maharashtra] [India], September 18 (ANI): Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) Sudhanshu Pandey visited Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) in Manjiri Gaon, Pune, and reviewed the working of the NABL accredited laboratories functioning at VSI.

Patna (Bihar) [India], September 1 (ANI): Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan accepted the resignation of Bihar Minister Kartikeya Singh, who was moved from the Ministry of Law to be the Sugarcane Industry Minister of the state on Wednesday morning.

Aurangabad Oct 21 PTI Private and co-operative sugar factories as well as standalone distillery units in Maharashtra have produced and supplied 6506 crore litres of ethanol so far this year as against the target of 5961 crore litres set till October the National Federation of Co-operative Sugar Factories NFCSF said on Thursday Talking with PTI NFCSF President Jayprakash Dandegavkar said the purchase prices of ethanol should also go up with the fuel prices in the country by keeping the base price intact In Maharashtra the private and co-operative sugar factories and standalone distillery units were given the target of making and supplying 5961 crore litres of ethanol till October 2021 The state has overachieved the target and has supplied 6506 crore litres of ethanol till date The target of ethanol production for the state can go up by 30 per cent he said Sugarcane is being used to make ethanol in the country and it will prove helpful to some extent to those factories that are currently in financial crunch he added Ethanol-making will help those factories that are facing losses We have surplus stock of sugar being produced every year leading to the decline in sugar prices Many times sugar is sold below the minimum support price MSP by factories due to the excess stock If a good amount of diversion of factories towards ethanol takes place it will stabilise the factory and also give ethanol production he said Dandegavkar expressed concern over the entry of private players in the Indian market that might purchase ethanol There is security for ethanol prices as of today But if private players enter the Indian market in the future they may not be bound to purchase ethanol from sugar factories The government should make it mandatory to these private players to purchase ethanol from the sugar factories in the country instead of abroad he said Another issue with the ethanol production is its fixed purchase price Dandegavkar said The prices of ethanol should be linked with the fuel prices in the country We have a policy that if the purchase price is fixed it wont change for at least four-five years But the prices should be linked to the market situation As the fuel prices go up the sugar factories should also get benefit out of it in terms of the price of ethanol he said PTI AW NP HRS hrs hrs

New Delhi [India], August 24 (ANI): Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu criticised the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government and said the state assured sugarcane state advised price (SAP) is too low compared to other states.