Shania Shayal Prasad 
[File Photo]
Recent weather events, including floods, cyclones, and continuous rain, have caused widespread damage to cane access roads, with 78 Irish crossings destroyed across cane belt areas.
Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh states that urgent maintenance and upgrades are set to begin this week, ahead of the 2025 sugarcane harvesting and crushing season, expected to commence in mid-June.
He says cane access roads are critical to the sugar industry, enabling efficient harvesting and transport while reducing logistical challenges for farmers.
Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh [File Photo]
Singh says maintenance is typically avoided during the rainy season (November to April) to prevent upgraded roads from being compromised by adverse weather.
He adds that to avoid resource wastage, works usually begin in May and continues into the early stages of the crushing season.
According to Singh, contractors for all 38 cane-growing sectors have already been selected through a rigorous tender process, with agreements currently being finalized and resource mobilization underway.
Singh says preparations are in the final stages to upgrade more than 4,000 kilometers of cane access roads, install culverts, and repair damaged crossings.
He adds that since 2012, $41.4 million has been spent on this infrastructure, with an additional $4 million allocated for the 2025 financial year.
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