Saturday | 11 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Saturday | 11 January 2025 | Epaper

Rajshahi Sugar Mills count Tk 391cr loss in five years

Published : Wednesday, 13 September, 2023 at 12:00 AM  Count : 440
Rafiqul Hasan Firoz
RAJSHAHI, Sept 12:  In the last five years, Rajshahi Sugar Mills (RSM) suffered a loss of over Tk 391 crore due to abnormal production costs.

Compared to the market price, the mills counted four times of production cost. At present, the production cost of sugar stands at Tk 405.68 per kilogram (kg). But per kg sugar is selling at Tk 100.

According to RSM data sources, from 2017-17 to 2021-22 financial years, the total loss stood at Tk 391 crore 16 lakh and 78 thousand.

In the 2017-18 financial year, sugarcane of 93 thousand and 94 metric tons (mt) were crushed at a cost of Tk 108 crore 5 lakh and 46 thousand. The sugar production was 5,448 mt.

The sugar sale was Tk 21 crore 51 lakh and 8 thousand.  Total income of the mills including the sale of Chita Gur was Tk 30 crore 31 lakh and 66 thousand. In that financial year, the mills counted a loss of Tk 74 crore 47 lakh and 65 thousand.

In 2018-19, 1 lakh 2 thousand and 525 mt of sugarcanes were crushed, with a sugar production of 6,212 mt. The total income stood at Tk 25 crore 64 lakh and 10 thousand including Tk 18 crore 41 lakh and 45 thousand as sale money.  The production cost was Tk 109 crore 43 lakh. The loss was Tk 83 crore 79 lakh and 80 thousand.

In 2019-20, 1 lakh 29 thousand and 252 mt sugarcanes were crushed, with a sugar production of 8,019 mt. The production cost was Tk 175 crore 12 lakh and 62 thousand.   The sugar sale was Tk 81 crore 5 lakh and 73 thousand. The total income was Tk 86 crore 50 lakh and 94 thousand. The loss was Tk 88 crore 61 lakh and 67 thousand.
 
In 2020-21, 63 thousand 964 mt of sugarcanes were crushed, with a sugar production of 3,664.60 mt. The sugar sales stood at Tk 25 crore 8 lakh and 23 thousand. The income was Tk 34 crore 31 lakh and 12 thousand. The loss was Tk  81 crore 21 lakh and 11 thousand.  

In 2021-22, 24 thousand 3 mt sugarcanes were crushed, with sugar production of 1 thousand 308 mt. Income was Tk 20 crore 48 lakh and 55 thousand including sale money of Tk 21 crore 55 lakh and 77 thousand. The production cost was Tk 84 crore 62 lakh and 32 thousand. The loss was Tk 63 crore 6 lakh and 55 thousand.

In 2022-23, 26 thousand 45 mt sugarcanes were crushed, with the sugar production of 1 thousand and 356 mt. The production cost was Tk 83 crore 1 lakh and 29 thousand. The income of the financial year is not available as the season is still going on. But mill sources apprehend a big loss.

Sugar mill sources said, due to repeated loss, the government closed down six mills out of total 16 in 2020.  Then there has been rumour to close RSM.

Fertiliser, seeds, insecticides and other agricultural tools of the mills were sent to other mills.

It made sugarcane growers frustrated. Then they lifted roots of sugarcanes. They shifted to other crops. Many of them dug ponds. The RSM became badly impacted.

A grower of Kantakali Hazrapukur area Masud Rana said, "I am used to cultivating sugarcane on two bighas of land yearly. But prices of fertiliser, seeds and insecticide are increasing day by day. But the price of sugarcane is not increasing. Growers like me are shifting to other crops."

RSM Managing Director Abul Bashar said, growers get fertiliser, insecticide and sugarcane roots as incentives to cultivate sugarcane. In fact, growers are shifting to other crops due to the cheaper price of sugarcane.

He sought overall cooperation to save the traditional sugar mills from closing.

He came up with an alternate to raising the income of the mills by producing other goods including mango juice and electricity through co-generation. In this regard, a recommendation has been made to the government, he added.

In 1962 the mills were constructed at Harian Union of Poba Upazila in Rajshahi. It was completed in 1965. The mills started production in 1965-66.

After independence, the government made the mils state-owned in 1972.



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