No hike in sugarcane price irks farmers, to raise issue today

MEERUT: Amid ongoing farmers’ movement, a panchayat scheduled at Sisauli, headquarters of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), on Wednesday will raise the issue of sugarcane price, which the state government has not revised for last three years.

While farmers were hoping for a significant increase, the state government which declared the price this week, kept it unchanged for the third consecutive year.

The issue, many feel, could help strengthen the ongoing farmers’ movement in western UP, the ‘ agriculture belt of the state where sugarcane is the major cash crop.

In five districts of Meerut division( Meerut, Baghpat, Hapur, Bulandshahr and Ghaziabad) alone over 5.25 lakh farmers cultivate sugarcane in more than 3.51 lakh hectare land and grow over 3053 lakh quintal sugarcane last year which was supplied to 16 sugar mills situated in different districts of the division. Besides, sugarcane was sown in 1.64 lakh hectare in Muzaffarnagar district. Senior farmer leader and president of BKU (Asli) Harpal Singh Bilari believes that the decision of the state government would help in strengthening the ongoing farmers’ movement. “Farmers were hoping for the increase in price this year and are jolted by the decision. Cutting across caste, creed and community, they will unite to voice their concern and join the ongoing movement. They believe the government want to attack on farmers’ identity,” said Bilari, adding “Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the slogan ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ but now it seems to have converted into Kisanmukt Bharat.”

BKU’s Muzaffarnagar district president Dheeraj Latiyan said farmers were hoping the prices would increase this year since they had not been increased since past three years.

He said the BJP government had increased Rs 10 in sugarcane price in its three years rule earlier and then Rs 10 increased during last 4 years rule of chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Latiyan said a befitting reply would be given to the government in forthcoming panchayat election and then in the Assembly election next year.

“Instead of resolving farmers’ problem, the government was making it more complex for them,” said Latiyan.

The current purchase price of sugarcane is Rs 315 and Rs 325 per quintal and farmers had been demanding increase as prices of fertilizers, seeds, labour and diesel have increased considerably in past one year.

A sugarcane farmer in village Paswara of district Meerut, Manoj Malik said it seems that the government did it deliberately to weaken farmers’ movement by discouraging those who are demanding increase in sugarcane price this year.

Jagdish Singh, pradhan of village Chabaria in district Meerut, claimed dwindling income of farmers had affected social and economic life in villages.

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said the government even ignored report of ‘Sugarcane Institute’, which confirms that at least expenditures in sowing sugarcane have increased by Rs 10 per quintal this year in comparison to previous year. Tikait said the government paid no heed to the report and currently over Rs 12000 crore payment of sugarcane is pending on mills.

BKU’s youth wing’s state president Digamber Singh claims that government’s no to increase in price has filled sugarcane farmers with rage.