Panaji: Sugarcane cultivation in Goa is expected to receive a fresh impetus with the state govt moving to revive the Sanjivani Sugar Factory through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. Farmers are likely to begin planting sugarcane between Nov and Jan, agriculture director Chandrahas Desai announced on Wednesday.The move marks an important step towards reviving Goa’s sugarcane sector after years of uncertainty following the closure of the state’s only sugar factory.The factory, which has remained non-operational since the 2019-20 season, is expected to resume sugar processing once the next sugarcane crop matures. Sugarcane takes approximately 12 months to grow and requires a full cultivation cycle before it can be harvested.As part of efforts to rebuild confidence among growers, the agriculture department convened a meeting involving sugarcane producers, their union representatives and the company selected to operate the facility.“The meeting was organised to explain the proposed operational arrangements and address farmers’ concerns regarding the factory’s revival. We and the representatives of the company responded to queries raised by growers, who welcomed the decision to restart the facility,” Desai said.Sugarcane planting is expected to begin in Nov-Dec and continue into January, with the first crop likely to be ready for harvesting around Dec-Jan next year, depending on the planting schedule. Processing will begin once the crop matures, following the completion of its growing cycle.“The closure of the factory had severely affected the expansion of sugarcane cultivation in Goa. With the facility remaining shut since 2019-20, there was virtually no new cultivation, and farmers largely maintained the existing crop rather than expanding their plantations,” Desai said.“The proposed revival is expected to restore confidence among growers by providing a potential processing facility and a renewed market for their produce. The government is seeking to bring farmers back into sugarcane cultivation by assuring them of the factory’s proposed operations under the new management arrangement,” he added.
