Sugarcane farmers launch indefinite protest

Sugar cane farmers staging a ‘waiting protest’ outside the Vellore Co-operative Sugar Mill on Tuesday.

Demand arrears amounting to ₹25 crore from Vellore Cooperative Sugar Mill

VELLORE: Sugarcane growers on Tuesday launched an indefinite “waiting protest” demanding the Vellore Cooperative Sugar Mill to pay them arrears for two years.

The farmers are staging the “waiting protest” at the Vellore Cooperative Sugar Mill as the mill has to pay them an outstanding amount to the tune of ₹25 crore, R. Sridhar, president of the mill said.

“As many as 3,000 sugarcane farmers supply cane to the mill. The mill has to pay arrears amounting to ₹25 crore. This amount is pending for the cane supplied during 2014-2015 and 2015-2016,” he said.

They wanted the outstanding amount to be paid along with interest. For the cane supplied and crushed in 2015, the mill should pay each farmer ₹350 per tonne, Senthilnathan, another farmer said.

In 2016, the Vellore Cooperative Sugar Mill crushed 82,000 tonnes of sugarcane, while 40,000 tonnes were diverted to the mills at Tirutani and Ambur, he said, adding that while the two mills paid ₹2,000, the Centre’s Fair and Remunerative Price of ₹350 and State Advised Price of ₹550 per tonne were pending.

“The Vellore Cooperative Sugar Mill gave ₹1,000 each for the 82,000 tonnes of sugarcane crushed. Nevertheless, the remaining amount is yet to be paid,” he said.

The farmers also demanded grant of ₹4,000 per tonne for the crushing season 2016-2017. They also wanted the cane cutting cost to be borne by the administration of the mill. The farmers demanded that the State government take over the loans of cooperative mills amounting to ₹2,500 crore.

The farmers wanted the Vellore Cooperative Sugar Mill to be improved, and also urged the Central government to grant loans to the State government to maintain the mills.

They also wanted the co-generation facility at the Vellore mill to be made operational.