Shree Renuka Sugars to scale up sugar beet processing to 50,000 tons

NEW DELHI: Leading sugar refiner Shree Renuka Sugars aims to increase the processing of sugar beet, which is used in alcohol making, to 50,000 tonnes in the 2013-14 marketing year starting September, from the existing 10,000 tonnes, a top company official has said.

This is for the first time in India that sugar beet is being processed for use in alcohol making and farmers have benefited with additional revenue, Shree Renuka Sugars Executive Chairperson Vidya M Murkumbi told PTI.

"We have successfully processed 10,000 tonnes of sugar beet on a trial basis this year. We will increase it to 50,000 tonnes next year and later to 2,00,000 tonnes," Murkumbi said.

The sugar beet plant in Karnataka has a total processing capacity of 3,000 tonnes per day. The juice processed is directly taken to distillery for alcohol production, she said.

Murkumbi said farmers are being encouraged to grow sugar beet, a variety of vegetable beetroot. Unlike sugarcane, sugar beet crop is grown in four months and requires less water.

"Farmers are coming forward to grow sugar beet as it gives additional revenue," she added.

The company has distillery capacity of 930 KLPD (kilo liters per day) in India. It operates 11 sugar mills globally with a total crushing capacity of 20.7 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). Of which, seven sugar mills are here.

Shares of the company today closed 1.65 per cent higher at Rs 24.65 on the BSE.