Maharashtra Mandates Digital Weighing at Sugar Mills to Protect Farmers
In a significant move to ensure transparency and fairness in the sugarcane industry, the Maharashtra sugar commissioner has issued a directive for all weighing machines at sugar mills to be digitized and connected online to a state portal. This initiative aims to address long-standing complaints from farmers about inaccurate measurements leading to underpayment.
Digital Transformation for Fair Weighing
State sugar commissioner Sanjay Kolte has formally written to the state department of legal metrology, formerly known as the weights and measures department, instructing that all weighing equipment used to measure farmers' sugarcane must be upgraded to digital systems. These machines will be linked online to the state portal, allowing for real-time monitoring and verification of weights.
Kolte emphasized that this digital linkage is crucial to prevent manipulation and ensure that farmers receive accurate payments based on the true quantity of sugarcane they supply. The move is part of a broader effort to modernize agricultural practices and protect farmers' interests in the state's vital sugar sector.
Government-Run Verification Facilities
In addition to the digital mandate, Kolte has called for the establishment of government-run weighing facilities near sugar mills. These facilities will enable farmers to independently verify the exact quantity of cane they have supplied, providing a check against potential discrepancies reported by the mills.
To fund these facilities, Kolte has suggested utilizing MP and MLA funds, particularly in areas where there have been frequent complaints about faulty measurements. He also proposed that farmers could contribute a nominal amount toward setting up such centers, fostering a collaborative approach to ensuring transparency.
Farmers' Demand for Transparency
The push for these measures was strongly advocated by farmers' leader and former MP Raju Shetti, who has highlighted numerous instances where sugar mills allegedly underpaid farmers by recording lower weights than the actual quantity supplied. Shetti argued that even minor inaccuracies, which he termed "cane theft," accumulate into significant financial losses for farmers over time.
"The farmers are already facing financial losses due to the dropping of the cane weight because of delayed crushing and unfavourable climatic conditions. The sugar mills are run by political heavyweights who are also part of the government. Therefore, there may come political pressure to make the weighing process transparent. However, it is the fight we are leading for many years and will ensure it gets to a logical end," Shetti stated.
Impact on Farmer Payments
The accuracy of weighing is critical because payments to farmers are linked to the sugar recovery rate—the amount of sugar produced from one tonne of crushed cane. The Centre fixes the sugarcane price, and faulty weighing reduces the recorded quantity of cane, which in turn affects the recovery calculation. This discrepancy ultimately leads to financial losses for farmers, who rely on these payments for their livelihoods.
By implementing digital weighing and verification facilities, the state aims to eliminate such errors and ensure that farmers are compensated fairly. This initiative represents a proactive step toward addressing systemic issues in the sugar industry and safeguarding the economic well-being of Maharashtra's farming community.
