[File Photo]

The Sugar Ministry’s budget has increased over time with more capital programs to support the sugar industry.

This was highlighted by the Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh while supporting the motion on the review report of the Ministry of Sugar from 2016 to 2020.

Singh says that during this review period a total of 281 million was allocated to the ministry of which approximately 98 percent of this was allotted for grants to support the sugar industry, while only 2 percent was the ministry’s operational expenses.

Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh

The sugar minister says that this is an indication of the maximum utilization of funds to benefit the cane growers and the sugar industry.

“In this financial year, 2023, 2024, a total of 13 capital programs were approved by the government to support the sugar industry with a total capital grant of $44.5 million. Funds program aims to increase the cane production through the farm mechanization, cane planting assistance, subsidizing input costs, upgrading cane access roads, and assisting new farmers.”

Singh says that the ministry has supported manual harvesting, and it has paid one dollar per ton of the manual harvested cane directly to the grower.

He says a total of 4,924 farmers received the payment under the farmer’s incentive program, while 8,336 farmers were paid under the manual harvesting program.

The Sugar Minister also states that a committee was established to look into the land issues on the land expiry of leases, and the renewal of leases while for this financial year, a total of two million was allocated to assist those growers wishing to renew their leases.