Pune: The use of harvesting machines is on the rise at sugar mills in Maharashtra. For the sugar season of 2011-12, the state government had granted subsidies to factories and individual farmers towards the purchase of harvesters to encourage the use of mechanised equipment.

Around 87 harvesters were used last season. “The government hopes to double the number of harvesters to around 150 in the coming season. Harvesters accounted for 7-8% of the total crushing in 2011-12 season and we hope to take it to 25% in the next crushing season,” Harshavardhan Patil, state cooperation minister, said.

The government has decided to extend the R50-crore subsidy for the purchase of harvesters to 2012-13 season as well, the minister said.

Last year, the government had granted subsidy for 200 harvesters to the tune of 50% of the price of the machine to individual and farmers’ groups, and 25% to factories. A sugarcane harvester usually costs between R80 lakh and R1 crore.

However, there has been strong opposition towards the use of harvesters by workers in Maharashtra on the grounds that labourers would eventually become jobless.

Trade union Ustod Kamgar Vahatuk Va Mukadam Sanghantana, which looks into labour issues related to the sugar industry in the state, has been pretty apprehensive about the switch to machines.

Officials however claim that in a sugar season of about 160 days, one harvester can cut 12,000 tonne of cane. One harvester can cut around 100 tonne of sugarcane in 16 hours in a day while a group of workers can cut only 16 tonne of cane per day. On the price issue, it costs around R265 to cut one tonne of cane using a harvester, while manual labour costs around R300 a day.

Around eight companies in Maharashtra offer both imported and indigenously made harvesters, including New Holland Rane Agro, Shrijee Agricultural Equipment, Conveying Systems and John Deere, among others. The government has been encouraging the use of harvesters.

There are about 10 lakh workers in the state who are dependent on the sugar sector for their livelihood. According to industry sources, sugar mills owe workers around R500 crore in accumulated dues. According to Harshavardhan Patil, some of the factories that defaulted have been closed for two years and therefore there was no work for labourers for this period. Of the 54 factories that defaulted on payments, around 18 have been closed, nine have been liquidated and 13 have been leased to other mills, the minister said. Total dues have piled up to R484 crore and the matter is being treated on a case-to-case basis, he said.

“Last year, a hike of 18% in wages was announced for the workers. Of the 119 odd factories, 96 have paid the increased wages. Around 20-22 mills are yet to pass on the hike in wages to the workers. We will be writing to these mills soon,” the minister said. Workers in the state have been agitating for better wages and after a meeting between BJP leader Gopinath Munde and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on November 7, 2011, a decision was taken to increase the wages of workers from existing R127 per day to R190 per day.