Gopalganj: A state-of-the-art automatic jaggery manufacturing plant has begun operations in Bihar’s Gopalganj district, a development officials say could revive sugarcane cultivation and create new income opportunities for farmers in the region.
The plant, operated by Harshvardhan Industries, was inaugurated on Sunday in Khalgaon village of Panchdeori block by K Senthil Kumar, additional chief secretary of the state’s sugarcane industry department. The facility has been set up under the Bihar government’s Jaggery Industry Promotion Programme.
Spread across two acres and built at a cost of around Rs 15 crore, the automated unit is designed to process about 100 tonnes of sugarcane per day, producing more than 13 tonnes of jaggery. Officials said the plant incorporates modern technology aimed at improving efficiency and product quality.
Authorities believe the project could help revitalise sugarcane farming in the area, which has declined over the past two decades following the closure of several sugar mills in Gopalganj and nearby districts. Farmers had gradually shifted to other crops due to the lack of assured procurement and processing facilities.
Local growers expressed hope that the new plant would restore confidence in sugarcane cultivation. Many said that if the procurement of sugarcane remains stable, farmers may once again return to large-scale production.
Speaking at the inauguration, Kumar urged farmers to take advantage of government schemes designed to support the sugarcane sector. He also instructed officials to ensure that farmers receive timely technical guidance and information about available subsidies and programmes.
The facility is being seen as an effort to modernise Bihar’s traditional jaggery industry while linking it more closely with contemporary processing technology and organised supply chains.
