MYSURU: Sugarcane growers under the banner of Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers Association staged a protest on Monday urging the government to provide higher price for sugar cane.
They shouted slogans against sugar minister Shivaram Hebbar, the district minister and the state and Union governments for turning a deaf ear to their demands.
They said the fair and remunerative price (FRP) fixed by the centre of Rs 2,850 per tonne was not adequate and didn’t even cover the input cost. They wanted the state government to announce a state advisory price (SAP) of at least Rs 350 more per tonne of sugarcane along with Rs 200 incentive per tonne, over and above the FRP.
Association chief Kurubur Shanthakumar said that though a dozen sugarcane research institutes had said the production cost for one tonne of sugarcane was around Rs 3050, the governments had fixed the FRP at Rs 2,850 per tonne, much against their demand of Rs 3,300 per tonne.
“As the cost of fertilizer, manure, labour and production has increased, growers had been suffering losses. Yet, the governments are not ready to offer better prices,” he said.
He condemned the state government for its discriminatory decision of distributing Rs 25,000 flood relief to residents affected in Bengaluru rains eyeing bypolls to state assembly but not offering any help for flood victims of 189 villages in North Karnataka.
Earlier, the protesters were involved in a verbal clash with police for not allowing them to protest near the main entrance of the DC office.