PRA: Price of Bagasse "Too Ridiculous"

" Eliminate inconsistencies laws executives sugarcane industry which block the development of a sound national energy policy . " So that sums up the main recommendation of the PRA. An additional reason for this association to provide indexing the price of bagasse paid to farmers on the coal, the current price is considered " ridiculous . "

According to the PRA the Independent Power Producers (IPP), for energy production, burned in 2011 some 660 000 tonnes of imported coal at a cost of Rs 2.6 billion. Whereas during the same period, local bagasse used in the production of electricity has reported that Rs 32 million to farmers in all categories. According to Salil Roy, President of the PRA, it is not surprising that 9000 farmers have abandoned thousands of hectares of arable land. Their sugarcane income never exceeded the half-percent. " This does not serve the interests of farmers, much less those of the country. It is therefore necessary to increase the price of bagasse for farmers and develop a new mechanism for the distribution of BTPF , "said the latter.

The PRA also recommends a range of measures not only to generate sustainable economic benefits for farmers but also to ensure that the country adopts a model of greener energy production.