A modern automatic jaggery manufacturing plant has started operations in Gopalganj, which is expected to support sugarcane farming and create new income opportunities for local farmers.
The plant, run by Harshvardhan Industries, was inaugurated on Sunday in Khalgaon village in the Panchdeori block by K. Senthil Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of the state’s Sugarcane Industry Department. The facility has been developed under the Jaggery Industry Promotion Programme launched by the Government of Bihar.
Built on around two acres of land with an investment of about ₹15 crore, the plant can process nearly 100 tonnes of sugarcane per day and produce more than 13 tonnes of jaggery daily. Officials said the automated facility uses modern technology to improve production efficiency and maintain better product quality.
Authorities believe the project could help revive sugarcane farming in the region, which has declined over the past 20 years after several sugar mills in Gopalganj and nearby districts shut down. Due to the lack of processing facilities and guaranteed buyers, many farmers had shifted to other crops.
Local farmers have welcomed the new plant and expressed hope that stable procurement of sugarcane will encourage them to increase cultivation again.
During the inauguration, Kumar urged farmers to take full advantage of government schemes that support the sugarcane sector. He also directed officials to provide farmers with proper technical guidance and information about subsidies and other available programmes.
The new facility is seen as an important step toward modernising Bihar’s traditional jaggery industry by combining it with modern processing technology and more organised supply chains.
