Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Farmers express disappointment over minimum price for sugarcane

— PHOTO: R. M. RAJARATHINAM

Survival: Farmers representatives staging a demonstration in Tiruchi on Friday.

TIRUCHI: Farmers representatives of Tiruchi district have expressed disappointment over the State government’s announcement on the increased minimum support price (MSP) for sugarcane.

They urged the government to press the Centre to increase the statutory minimum price for sugarcane to Rs.1,550 a tonne as per the recommendations of the Commission for Agriculture Cost and Prices so that cane growers could get around Rs.2,000 a tonne along with State incentives.

The State government’s announcement, through the Governor’s address to the Assembly, on increasing the MSP to Rs.1,100 a tonne was “unsatisfactory and misleading.” The transport subsidy and the recovery-base incentive were already being given. Cane growers were being paid between Rs.1,217 to 1,280 by some of the private sugar mills in the State already, observed R. Raja Chidambaram, State Secretary, Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam.

P. Ayyakannu, State general secretary, Bharathiya Kisan Sangam, said the MSP for cane was completely inadequate given the rise in input costs. P. Viswanathan, State deputy secretary, Pattali Makkal Katchi, demanded that farmers should be paid a minimum of Rs.2,000 a tonne for sugarcane. Later, Mr. Raja Chidamabaram and Mr. Ayyakannu led a novel demonstration, in front of the Collector’s Office, by wearing towels on their heads in a symbolic gesture to indicate the plight of cane growers.

Speaking at the meeting earlier, A. Karuppanan, district secretary, DMK’s Farmers Wing, urged the district administration to ensure that the revised MSP was paid to cane growers by all mills. He urged the Collector T. Soundiah, who was in the chair, to instruct the cooperative societies to extend liberal and unconditional credit to cane growers. Presently, cane growers were facing much difficulty in getting credit, he said.

Responding to the complaints and suggestions of the farmers, Mr. Soundiah said the sentiments of the farmers would be conveyed to the government and he further announced that a meeting with sugar mills officials would be held on February 12 to discuss exclusively the grievances of cane growers.

Mr. Soundiah also said that the district administration was initiating action over complaints of bogus pattas and fake patta name transfers received from farmers. He has already instructed the Registration Department to be cautious and thoroughly verify details of doubtful land transactions. The police have also been told to initiate action against racketeers.

A. Nagarajan of the District Congress Committee demanded compensation for all farmers who had raised paddy during the samba season in the district as they have suffered a heavy fall in yield due to the heavy rains during the monsoon. The flood relief for crop damages has not been given to all affected farmers, he maintained.

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