Karnataka - Mysore   

Despite odds, outlook for growers looks bright

By Sharath S. Srivatsa

Farmers harvesting sugarcane in Mysore district.

MYSORE, AUG. 6. After three successive years of drought and price crash, the fortunes of sugarcane growers in the southern districts of Karnataka are looking up even as the area under sugarcane cultivation has come down by 40 per cent.

While the farmers are still awaiting the announcement of the minimum support price (MSP) by the Centre, the State Government is holding parleys with representatives of sugar factories and farmers. This has raised hopes of renewed interest in the crop.

The incessant rainfall in the area during the last fortnight and an improvement in water storage in the major reservoirs in the Cauvery basin has also provided succour to the crisis-ridden farming community in the region.

Price increase

The price of sugarcane, which remained static at Rs. 850 a tonne over the last three years, has been increased to Rs. 950 a tonne, apart from the release of arrears at Rs. 44 a tonne. According to farmers, the price of sugarcane could be further revised once Centre announced the MSP, expected in September.

While the management of the Bannari Sugar Factory is understood to have agreed to the new price, the farmers are yet to make a decision in this regard.

Switch over

The farmers' leader, Kurubur Shanthkumar, told The Hindu that though the sugarcane growers were expecting a good price for their produce this season, the interest in growing sugarcane had come down. He said: "Unless the Government comes forward to rescue the farmers, they may shift to other crops that are economically viable." A combination of factors over the last three years, including drought, price fall, power problem and payment problems by the sugar factories have forced thousands of sugarcane growers across the State to abandon the crop. It is learnt that the acreage under sugarcane cultivation in Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts has come down from 80,000 acres to around 30,000 acres this year, following the switch by farmers to other crops.

With the farmers incurring losses in sugarcane, they have turned towards crops such as turmeric, banana and paddy.

According to the officials, the trend in this region mimicks the national trend where sugar production has come from the peak 2.15 lakh tonnes to 1.34 lakh tonnes, and the figures compiled by the Directorate of Sugar state that the area under sugarcane in Karnataka has come down by 50 per cent.

Farmers' demand

In fact, the farmers have even urged the Government to decontrol the sugar industry in the light of the industry going through a crisis. Besides seeking permission to manufacture ethanol independently as well as jaggery, the farmers have sought permission to transport the produce to the place of their choice.

"The fact that Bannari Sugar Factory does not get cane to meet its capacity is a testimony to the reduced crop output in the region.

Though the factory has the capacity to crush 22 lakh tonnes of cane a year, it had an agreement with farmers only for around 13 lakh tonnes," Mr. Shanthkumar said.

Sugar mills

With the closure of Mahadeshwara Sugar Factory at Kunthur, Bannari Sugars has emerged as the only sugar factory for the farmers in the region. The Government is trying to revive the ailing Sri Rama Cooperative Sugar factory at Chunchunkatte, near here, which supports nearly 10,000 sugarcane growers.

Meanwhile, two of the major demands of the farmers of the region are learnt to have been met by the management of Bannari Sugar Factory located at Nanjangud, near here.

With the intervention of the Government on the issue of the choice of sugarcane variety to be grown and the harvesting time, farmers have received a respite.

Mr. Shanthkumar said that the intervention of the Government had brought hope to the farmers as the clause to grow a particular variety of sugarcane had been dropped. With this, he said, the farmers could grow sugarcane of their choice. The harvest period had also been brought down from 13 to 14 months to 12 months, he added.

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