The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Farmers apprehensive to take up sugarcane cultivation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 01, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Farmers apprehensive to take up sugarcane cultivation

Staff Reporter

Zaheerabad (Medak): Sugarcane farmers of the district particularly in the Zaheerabad area who suffered the most during last crushing season are jittery to take up Sugar cane cultivation this year. While cane was cultivated in 28473 hectares above the normal area of 27456 hectares last year, farmers limited its cultivation to only 24665 hectares this year by the end of the sowing season.

Shankar Reddy a traditional cane farmer of Buchinelly village of Zaheerabad mandal who created a flutter by protesting openly in the Chief Minister’s programme here few months ago decided not to take up Cane in his eight acre farm this year. Explaining reasons to The Hindu Shankar Reddy alleged that first the sugar mill Rajashri limited, did not want to enter into an agreement with him because of his ‘protesting ways’. He further said that the fight last year was for Rs. 1,400 per qunital but this year the mills are planning to offer Rs. 600 to Rs. 800 per quintal which could not even cover a fraction of the cost of cultivation.

Hanmanthu another farmers from the same village said that the farmers of this region are facing the trouble of shortage of labour. He reasoned out that the employment guarantee programme NREGP is causing severe demand supply problem in the crucial period. Sugar cane cultivation being labour intensive has to suffer from a steep rise in the cost of cultivation owing to shortage of labour supply.

Recommended price

Speaking to The Hindu D. Vasanth Kumar also known as Delhi Vasanth who recently led a Walakathon to New Delhi to highlight the plight of sugarcane farmers demanded fixing of cane price basing on Professor Swaminathan’s recommendations. He said that Mr. Swaminathan has recommended a price of Rs. 1,700 per quintal for sugarcane.

He said that the cost of cultivation made by the Commission on agricultural costs and prices has toned down the cost production affecting the MSP of Sugarcane.

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