Sugarcane cultivators in the region have welcomed the government’s move to make drip irrigation mandatory for the crop but are wary of the proposed tri-partite business model involving the government, farmers and sugar factories or private agencies.
The government proposes to make drip irrigation mandatory for water-intensive crops like sugarcane in a bid to conserve both water and power. However, it is the “business model’ that has raised suspicions. Kurubur Shanthakumar, president, Sugarcane Cultivators association, told The Hindu that the farmers should not be bound by any of these agreements with either the government or the sugar mills and should be free to install the drip irrigation facility from an entrepreneur of their choice.
“Let the government subsidise the installation cost to farmers on producing the receipt or deal directly with the farmers,” said Mr. Shanthakumar.
While the government’s objective is laudable, many farmers who switched over to drip irrigation last year have not received the subsidy promised to them, said the association. It claimed that more than Rs. 300 crore was pending to the farmers.
The association reiterated its demand that farmers be free to install the system without the government entering into an agreement with a third party.
The association said there were nearly 10 lakh sugarcane farmers in the State and about 12 lakh acres of land was under sugarcane cultivation. The yield per acre is around 35 tonnes to 40 tonnes in the State, which cultivated 4.4 crore tonnes of sugarcane in the previous year. The introduction of drip irrigation is expected to enhance production significantly, which can increase farmers’ income.
