Sugarcane farmers likely to protest against ex-gate system

Kurbur Shantakumar, State president of the Sugarcane Growers’ Association addressing presspersons in Vijayapura on Thursday.

Protesting against the government’s proposed decision to implement ex­gate system instead of ex­field system for sugarcane farmers in the State, Kurbur Shantakumar, State president of the Sugarcane Growers’ Association has said that thousands of farmers will stage a protest in front of Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi during the coming assembly session from December 9 if the government decides to go ahead with the proposal.

Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, he said that ex­gate system would create a major labour and transport problem for the farmers and allow exploitation by the sugar mills owners.

“The farmers have been demanding the government to fix ex­field system which is in the interest of the farmers, but it appears that the government is dancing to the tune of the mill owners, which is why it is has decided to implement ex­gate system”, Mr. Shantakumar said.

Explaining the difference between the two systems, he said that in ex­field system, the mill owners themselves would cut and transport the sugarcane to their respective mills. But in ex­gate system, the farmers will have to bear the harvesting and transporting expenses.

“This system is blow to the farmers as often they do not find labours for harvesting and the lorry/tractor owners demand heavy cost for transportation of sugarcane to mills, therefore, ex­field system is best for the farmers”, he said.

With regard to the pending bills, he said that despite the High Court ordering the government to ensure the payment of Rs. 2,500/tonne Fixed Remunerative Price (FRP) with 15 per cent interest rate to the farmers, yet most of mills owners in the State were not paying accordingly.

Demanding the government to make sure the order is followed, Mr. Shantakumar urged the government to treat the violation as contempt of court and take legal action against such mill owners.

Criticizing the government for not paying Rs. 250 crore pending amount towards subsidy for implementing drip irrigation for sugarcane crop in the State, the farmers’ leader said instead of first clearing the pending bills, the government was trying to implement new scheme for sugarcane farmers.

“About 30 per cent sugarcane farmers in the State have already adopted drip irrigation facility, for which, they are supposed to get subsidy”, he said. He demanded the government not to involve sugar mill owners in new drip irrigation system stating that mill owners would only exploit the farmers.