Mumbai: Sugarcane growers in western Maharashtra have suspended their agitation against mills after the latter agreed to pay the fair and remunerative price for cane in one go, against the current practice of part payments, said Raju Shetty, chief of farmers’ body Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana.
“We have decided not to disrupt cane supply to mills as they have agreed to our major demand of paying the FRP (fair and remunerative price) in one instalment, instead of part payments,” Shetty told Cogencis over the phone., Considering the scarcity of water, it was not appropriate to hold back sugarcane supply, Shetty said.
Since Saturday, sugarcane farmers in western Maharashtra have been on a stir under the aegis of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, protesting against partial payments of fair and remunerative prices. This hit the supply of sugarcane in some tehsils such as Jaisingpur, Hatkanangale and Shirol.
Incidents of burning and damaging offices of some sugar mills in Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara, which account for 60% of the state’s sugar production, were reported over the weekend. Around 50 sugar mills in western Maharashtra owe sugarcane dues in the range of 2,600-3,000 rupees per tn, based on recovery. Some mills have already paid 2,300 rupees per tn in the first instalment, almost 80% of the applicable fair and remunerative price.
Though mills have now agreed to pay the entire amount in one go, payments could be delayed due to paucity of funds with sugar mills, Shetty said, adding that the proposal to pay the fair and renumerative price in the form of sugar has also been accepted in principle by the state sugar commissioner. He said that though the protests have been suspended for now, the farmers’ union would go ahead with its plan to carry out protests in western Maharashtra during Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah’s visit, scheduled for Jan 24.
This would be followed by a protest to ensure implementation of a plan to give sugar in lieu of the fair and renumerative price to sugarcane farmers. “We also want such payment (in form of sugar) free from the goods and services tax as it is not a sale of sugar,” Shetty said.