News in Marathi and communication with the chief minister and deputy chief minister, Maharashtra state urging for mechanisation of sugar factories is attached with this email.
Mumbai – Following work by Animal Rahat to modernise sugarcane factories in Maharashtra by replacing cumbersome bullock carts – which cause great animal suffering – with efficient mechanised vehicles, the central government has approved 128 crores and 78 lakhs for this purpose. The progressive offer is open to all states. Through its mechanisation programme, Animal Rahat has been alleviating the hardship of bullocks, helping to support labourer welfare, and improving sugar factories’ operations throughout Maharashtra. Since one sugarcane factory can use 800 bullocks, the government programme is expected to prevent countless bullocks from being forced to do grueling toil.
Gold Rate
15 May 2025
The Maharashtra Ministry of Agriculture has set a target of 900 new harvesters for the state’s factories in two years, replacing approximately 50,000 bullocks. The state government will provide sugar factories with financial assistance to purchase the harvesters through subsidies or full grants. These funds will be available to all cooperative or private sugar factories in the state. Other states can seek similar help through the National Agriculture Development Programme.
Sugarcane season in Maharashtra runs from October to April. Bullocks are forced to pull excessively heavy loads of more than 3 tons of sugarcane for up to 18 kilometres, which causes abscesses, swollen knees, yoke gall, and muscle ailments. They’re often whipped and violently handled; subjected to yoke spikes, which cause painful neck injuries; and given insufficient food, water, rest, and shade. Bullock owners who switch to using mini tractors will be guided by Animal Rahat on how to give their animals a peaceful retirement. They’ll also avert the risk of losing their livelihood if their animals become ill or injured. With more harvesters, the agricultural fields will be quickly cleared of sugarcane, giving farmers more time to plan for the next crop.
“Replacing bullocks with mechanised vehicles benefits everyone, from the bullocks to the sugar factory owners”, says Animal Rahat’s chief operating officer and veterinarian, Dr Naresh Upreti. “Animal Rahat encourages every other state in India to follow Maharashtra’s lead and take advantage of the central government’s programme to modernise the industry by replacing forced animal labour with high-tech sugarcane transport vehicles.”
Since the launch of Animal Rahat’s mechanisation programme in 2011, the group has helped to give a peaceful retirement to more than 57,400 bullocks from 26 sugar factories in the Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, and Solapur districts of Maharashtra by replacing them with over 13,700 trucks and tractors.
Animal Rahat’s staff of veterinarians, veterinary assistants, animal caretakers, an education officer, and community educators also supplies veterinary services to animals in need, rescues animals in danger, raises community awareness about how to prevent cruelty to animals, runs humane education programs for children, and provides abandoned and retired animals with lifelong care in the group’s sanctuaries.
For more information and to support Animal Rahat’s life-saving work, please visit AnimalRahat.com.
