The 2026-27 sugarcane crushing season at the Harsha Sugar Factory in Savadatti taluk was officially inaugurated on Monday with religious rituals and a boiler lighting ceremony. The event was presided over by Umeshwara Shivacharya of the Hooli Sambayya Mutt, who lit the boiler to mark the commencement of the current season’s operations.
During the function, progressive farmers who supplied the highest volume of sugarcane to the factory during the 2025-26 crushing season were honored. The ceremony was attended by factory Chairman and MLA Lakshmi Hebalkar, Girija Hattihalli, Managing Director and Legislative Council Member Channaraj Hattihalli, and Director Mrunal Hebalkar.
Factory officials present included Chief Manager Sadashiv Thorath, Chief Manager of the Sugarcane Division N.M. Patil, Ethanol Unit Manager Sambarekar, and Chief Administrative Officer Chaukmath, along with other departmental officers and staff.
In a separate development in Ramdurg, Mahadevappa Yadav, President of the Dhanalakshmi Cooperative Sugar Factory, urged authorities to procure all varieties of sugarcane from farmers due to low yields caused by monsoon failure. Speaking at the launch of the 19th crushing season at the Sri Dhanalakshmi Cooperative Sugar Factory in Khanapet, which is leased to the I.D. Parey Company, Yadav insisted that the company must pay the government-fixed rate to farmers and instructed the sugarcane gang to avoid imposing excessive levies during harvest.
Nagarajan, Manager of the I.D. Parey Company, assured that the factory would purchase all varieties of sugarcane grown by farmers and pay the government-prescribed rate as directed by the board of directors. The event was attended by Vice President B.S. Belavanki and board members Mallanna Yadav, P.F. Patil, Gopala Santhi, Mahadev Atar, B.M. Tuppada, Eeranna Kamanavar, Parappa Jangavad, and Basanagouda Dyamanagouda.
