“The price of sugarcane is lower in Karnataka than in TN and Kerala despite its higher recovery rate”

All India Sugarcane Growers’ Federation President D. Ravindran inaugurated a sugarcane growers’ conference at Yatri Nivas in Kalaburagi on Sunday. | Photo credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Terming the sugarcane price offered to the sugarcane growers of Karnataka as unfair price, Indian Sugarcane Growers Federation President D. Ravindran said that the sugarcane growers of Karnataka have fetched a lower price than their counterparts in neighboring Tamil Nadu and Kerala, although they produced better production. quality sugarcane with higher sugar recovery rate.

“The fair and remunerative price (FRP) paid to sugarcane growers in Karnataka is not fair in the real sense. It’s an unfair price. The sugar recovery rate from cane grown in Tamil Nadu and Kerala is less than 8.5%. Yet, sugarcane farmers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala receive between ₹2,750 and ₹2,870 per tonne of sugarcane. However, cane growers in Karnataka get a lower price than what they pay in these two states, despite having produced quality cane with a sugar recovery rate of over 10%. This is an injustice to the sugarcane farmers of Karnataka. Surprisingly, farmers in Karnataka are rising up in big movements to fight against injustice and the demand for State Recommended Price (SAP),” Mr. Ravindran said.

He was addressing the gathering of farmers after inaugurating the State Sugarcane Growers’ Conference at Kalaburagi on Sunday, September 29, 2024.

“As many as 74 sugar mills are functioning in Karnataka. Except for 13 factories operating on the cooperative principle, the rest are owned by private companies. Private sugar mills deceive sugarcane producers on several levels. They do not pay fair prices to sugarcane producers. According to one estimate, farmers spend between ₹2,700 and ₹2,900 to cultivate each tonne of cane. They must unite and fight for a fair price instead of helplessly suffering losses,” he said.

Referring to the SAP Act in force in states like Punjab and Haryana, Mr. Ravindran asked the Karnataka government to introduce a similar law in the state to safeguard the interests of its sugarcane growers.

“A fair price of ₹5,500 per tonne should be fixed for cane having sugar recovery rate above 9.5 per cent. The government should bring in a law to ensure that 50 per cent of profits from sugarcane by-products are paid to sugarcane farmers,” Ravindran said.

Opposing the proposed amendment to the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966, Mr. Ravindran alleged that the Union government was trying to bring the amendment by keeping sugarcane growers in the ‘ignorance.

“If the said order is amended, states will lose the freedom to sell sugar and its by-products without the permission of the Union government. The amended order will end the rule that requires sugar mills to pay farmers within 14 days of the sugar harvest. We should not allow the Union government to move an anti-farmer amendment,” Ravindran said.

T. Yeshwanth, state secretary of the Sugarcane Growers’ Association, said the state government had always been keen to protect the interests of sugar mill owners, over the interests of farmers.

“The government had issued an order requiring sugar mills with ethanol production facilities to pay an additional amount of ₹150 per tonne of cane to farmers. However, the order was hardly implemented due to the government’s propensity to favor sweets,” Mr. Yeshwanth said.

Family leader Sharanabasappa Mamshetty, labor leader MB Sajjan, Anganwadi workers’ leader Gouramma Patil, Dalit activist Sudham Dhanni and others were present.