Indian Potash Limited, a cooperative-based organization, has launched a program to revamp and modernize three sugar mills in Gir Somnath and Valsad, Gujarat, with Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, addressing the occasion. The goal of the initiative is to benefit over 10,000 farmers in the region by transforming them into energy-producing farmers through ethanol production. The sugar mills, which were revived through Indian Potash Limited, will not only contribute to food security but also help reduce the country’s petroleum import bill. Additionally, farmers will be able to export bio-fuel globally.
Shri Shah attributed the success of the initiative to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who has taken several initiatives to benefit farmers, including increasing the budget for agriculture 6-fold and providing subsidies on DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate) to keep the price stable. The Minister also mentioned that the government has provided farmers with affordable fertilizers, drip irrigation facilities, organic farming, farmer credit cards, and ethanol production facilities.
The revival of the sugar mills has introduced new technologies such as seed production, sugarcane harvesting machines, fertilizer spraying through drones, and drip irrigation systems, making it possible to produce ethanol, compressed biogas, and organic fertilizers. The Minister emphasized the importance of water conservation, urging all to work together to implement drip irrigation systems to save water.
The program is expected to have a significant impact on the lives of nearly 10,000 farmers in the region, transforming them into global bio-fuel producers. The initiative is a testament to the commitment of the government to the welfare of farmers and its efforts to modernize the agricultural sector.