PSM resumes crushing of sugarcane with sugar worth Tk 500 million left unsold

PABNA, Dec 22: Experiencing a loss of Tk. 1.25 billion, the Pabna Sugar mill resumed crushing of sugarcane on Friday. With a target of crushing 90 thousand metric tonnes of sugarcane the mill resumed its production for 2013-14 year despite keeping unsold sugar worth Tk 500 million.

Pabna Sugar Mill, located at Dashuria of Ishwardi upazila started commercial operation of the mill in 1998-99 fiscal years but unfortunately the mill experienced losses from the beginning of operation, mill sources said. Due to lack of sufficient sugarcane the mill failed to produce targeted sugar.

"At least 0.2 million metric tonnes of sugarcane is needed to run the mill for 3 to 4 months to produce 12 to 15 thousand metric tonnes of sugar a year. "Unfortunately we could not arrange the half of the sugarcane in last few years so the mill faced losses every year," Komol Kanti Sarkar, managing director (MD) of Pabna Sugar mill told this correspondent.  

The mill has incurred a loss of Tk. 1.25 billion after 15 years of commercial production, the MD said adding that farmers lost their interest for producing sugarcane due to poor profit.

Despite an unsold stock of 9,200 metric tonnes sugar in the mill godown the production kicks off this year signalling an uncertainty among the workers.

Most of the workers are yet to get their salary over last few months. Chairman of Ishwardi upazila Parishad Md. Nuruzzaman Biswas inaugurated the resumption of sugarcane crushing on Friday.

Among others vice chairman of Ishwardi upazila Parishad Sufia Begum, Sugarcane producer Shajahan Ali Badsha, CBA president Arifur Rahman and Secretary Ahmed Ali spoke on the occasion.