ERODE: A tripartite meeting would be conducted soon to sort out the problem involved in sugarcane cutting and crushing by sugar mills in Erode district, said District Collector T. Udhaychandran on Tuesday.

Mr. Udhaychandran told reporters that during the farmers' grievances day, sugarcane farmers complained that a sugar mill was delaying cutting of their registered sugarcane.

The farmers also alleged that the same factory was getting "unregistered'' sugarcane at a low rate.

Because of this, registered sugarcane farmers were affected.

The collector said a tripartite meeting consisting of farmers representatives, officials and sugar mill representatives would be held soon at Gobichettipalayam.

The collector assured the sugarcane farmers that their interests would be safeguarded.

He said this year it was decided to cultivate paddy crop in over 51,500 hectares of land in the district.

Maize would be raised in over 24,000 hectares, pulses 25,000 hectares, sugarcane 40,000 hectares, cotton 7,000 hectares, sun flower 8,000 hectares and castor in 2,500 hectares.

Last year 1.85 lakh tonnes of paddy were produced. Small grains (2.2 lakh tonnes), sugarcane (4.80 lakh tonnes) and oilseeds (1.22 lakh tonnes) were also produced.

This year too the same quantities would be produced for which technical advice and inputs were given to the farmers by the agricultural department.

Paddy seeds were distributed to the farmers at a subsidised rate of Rs. 2 per kg under the integrated grain production scheme.

The collector said the district had a lot of potential for agro-based industries.

He wanted the farmers and others to start agro-based industries.

He also wanted them to raise mulberry and start small silk reeling centres for which the Government was granting subsidies.

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