A bitter pill for sugarcane farmers

Factories refuse to offer anything more than Rs. 2,600 per tonne, the price that was fixed last year. He found fault with the farmers’ unions stating all that they did was for publicity and not for addressing the problems of the farmers.

November 27, 2014 10:12 pm | Updated July 12, 2016 01:50 am IST - SANGAREDDY:

Sugarcane Farmers taking food on premises of sugar factory as crushing started at Sangareddy in Medak. Photo: Mohd Arif

Sugarcane Farmers taking food on premises of sugar factory as crushing started at Sangareddy in Medak. Photo: Mohd Arif

Farmers, no doubt, have to battle several odds right from deciding which crop to grow till selling the yield. Adverse weather conditions, lack of groundwater and other financial woes have continuously been hitting their prospects. In Medak district, the situation is no different and this time around, it’s the sugarcane farmers who are facing hard times as they are being exploited by market players.

The sugarcane price has not yet been finalised despite the Joint Collector, A. Sarath, holding two meetings with the managements of sugar factories and farmer representatives in the recent past. While the farming community settled for Rs. 2,800 per tonne from their initial demand of Rs. 3,600, the factory managements clearly stated that it was impossible to give anything more than Rs. 2,600 per tonne, the price that was fixed last year.

Commencing crushing process without finalising the rate is not new in the district as factories have been doing so for the past few years. But now, they neither have fixed the present purchase price, nor the price that would be offered next year as demanded by the farmers. “We are in a catch-22 situation. We have already cultivated sugarcane and the harvesting season has begun. We have no other way but to sell our produce to the factories and they are taking this as an advantage,” says Pandu Ranga Reddy, a farmer from Zaheerabad.

“Holding discussions with farmer representatives has become a farce. It’s not possible for farmers to wait till the rate is finalised as they already have given advance amount to labour and for transportation. The administration has also not taken any action against the managements who had agreed to pay Rs. 2,700, but paid only Rs. 2,600,” asks another farmer.

He found fault with the farmers’ unions stating all that they did was for publicity and not for addressing the problems of the farmers.

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