Unsafe sugarcane transport during the current crushing season is causing cane to fall from overloaded trailers on roads in Siddhatek, damaging farmers’ produce and creating a serious road-safety hazard, according to a report by Sakal – Pune published on October 25.
The report said transporters were loading trailers beyond their capacity to move larger quantities of cane. As a result, cane was falling onto the road while vehicles travelled towards sugar factories. In some cases, drivers were reportedly leaving the fallen cane on the road and continuing their journey.
The problem has emerged as the sugarcane crushing season gathers pace and factories face increased demand for cane. The report attributed the losses to poor coordination after harvesting, including cane not being loaded securely into trailers and drivers failing to ensure that the load remained safe during transport.
For farmers, the loss occurs after months of cultivation and comes at the final stage before their produce reaches the factory. Cane cut by harvesting workers can be damaged or lost when it is inadequately loaded or spills during transit. The report described the resulting financial impact on farmers as significant, particularly when the loss is caused by the transporter’s negligence rather than by production conditions.
The transport practices also raise direct concerns for other road users. The report identified several forms of dangerous cane transport, including attaching two or more trailers to a single tractor, operating trailers without reflectors or indicators, using underage or unlicensed drivers, playing loud music and parking vehicles dangerously along the roadside. These practices can make slow-moving and heavily loaded vehicles difficult to identify, particularly in poor visibility or congested road conditions.
The report said the Sugar Commissionerate and the Regional Transport Department had issued directions for strict rules and punitive action against illegal and dangerous sugarcane transport. It did not provide details of the number of enforcement cases or penalties imposed in Siddhatek.
Viththal Bhosale, general manager of Ambalika Sugar, said the factory does not accept vehicles that arrive with improperly transported cane and unloads such vehicles at the factory site. He said the factory had appointed a separate team to handle such cases so that farmers would not suffer losses. The next steps identified in the report are stricter compliance checks and action against unsafe transport during the ongoing crushing season.
