Sugarcane farmers worried as crushing delayed by mills
: Already reeling under losses due to untimely rainfall, sugarcane farmers are likely to face more trouble as crushing in sugar mills has been delayed this time.
As per available information, the decision on the state advisory prices (SAP) and the crushing schedule has not been taken yet.
The meeting of the Sugar Control Board was already delayed by two weeks, thus delaying the crushing in all cooperating and private sugar mills.
Earlier, the meeting was fixed for October 26 but now it has been postponed to October 29 to decide SAP and the schedule for crushing operations.
“Efforts will be made to start crushing in all cooperative sugar mills from November 13,” said Haryana Sugarfed chairman Chander Prakash Kathuria.
Last year, the meeting of the Sugarcane Control Board was held on October 13 and the crushing was started on November 7.
About the delay, Kathuria said the crushing has been delayed a majority of labourers will be available after the Diwali festival.
Meanwhile, farmers are demanding that crushing be advanced to November 7 as any further delay in this regard will hamper wheat sowing.
“The acreage under sugarcane has already increased and the government should advance the crushing to provide a relief to the farmers instead of delaying it,” said Ratan Mann, state president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union.
‘GOVT NOT KEEN ON INCREASING PRICES’
Meanwhile, officials in the Haryana agriculture department said the government was reluctant to increase the state advisory price (SAP) for sugarcane, which was fixed Rs 330, 325 and 320, for early, mid and lateral varieties.
On the possibility of increase in SAP during this election year, Kathuria said, “The sugarcane prices in Haryana are already highest in the country but the final decision will be taken in the meeting on October 29.”
Also, private mill operators are also against any hike in SAP of sugarcane as they claim they are unable to pay even the existing SAP of Rs 330 per quintal to farmers due to fall in the prices of sugar.
“We cannot afford a hike in SAP as we have to sell sugar at Rs 31 per kg and the financial condition of private mills is not very well,” says SC Sachdeva, chief operating officer of Saraswati Sugarmill, Yamunanagar.
On the other hand, farmers are urging the government to increase SAP, saying the production cost has increased due to rising prices of diesel and fertilisers.
“In the past four years of the BJP government, the sugarcane SAP was increased by only ₹20 per quintal prices. We urge the government to take it from the existing Rs 330 per quintal to Rs 400 per quintal to provide relief to farmers as our crop was also damaged due to untimely rainfall,” said Satpal Kaushik, a sugarcane farmer leader.
He alleged that the government has deliberately delayed the crushing as it does not want to provide any relief to farmers.
The acreage under sugarcane has already increased and the government should ensure that crushing is not delayed. RATAN MANN, state BKU chief