Deputy Commissioner, D. Randeep has asked all the sugar factories of the district to start crushing operations before November 20.
Chairing the meeting of the mills owners on Tuesday he asked them to make sure that the farmers were paid as per the rate fixed by the government.
“The mills owners must keep the records straight and transparent of all money paid to the farmers for procuring the sugarcane”, Mr. Randeep said.
Quoting an example of Nandi Sugars of the district, he said that the factory had not only started the crushing but also had been giving price to the farmers as per the norms.
The mill owners, as per the Karnataka Sugarcane (Regulation of purchase and supply) Act, must clear the bills of farmers within fourteen days of the procurement. If delayed, then, the farmers should be paid the money with 15 per cent interest rate.
Mr. Randeep said that the mill owners should pay Fair Remunerative Price (FRP) to the farmers. “The FRP is fixed at Rs. 2,a200 per tonne for 9.5 sugar yield. The farmers should be paid Rs. 23.20 additional money for the increase of the yield by 0.1 per cent”, he said.
With regard to the cost of transport, the official said that the mill owners must collect the price list from Sugarcane Development and Sugar Directorate, the payment should be made only as per the rate fixed by the government.
