Chandigarh, December 2 Nearly a month after the announcement of sugarcane rates, the Haryana Government is yet to notify these even as the crushing season is already underway and farmers are demanding a further hike in the procurement prices.
The Haryana Sugarcane Control Board had proposed the price of early maturing varieties of sugarcane as Rs 251 against Rs 231 per quintal last year, Rs 240 as against Rs 226 for mid-maturing varieties and Rs 235 against Rs 221 for late maturing varieties. Effecting a hike of nearly Rs 20 per quintal early last month, the board had ensured that the rates being offered in the state remained higher than that of Punjab.
However, despite the substantial hike, the rates have failed to enthuse the farmers and the opposition alike. The two have been demanding a further hike of around Rs 50 so that the farmer gets Rs 300 per quintal given the spiraling prices of not only agricultural inputs but of everyday needs. This demand, on the lines of the demand of cane farmers of Maharashtra, has been raised during a few sporadic protests.
Sources in the board said the delay in the issuance of a notification had nothing to do with the reconsideration of the demand being voiced from certain quarters.
“As far as the rates are concerned, they are final. The decision to fix this rate was taken after consulting the government top brass. Officials of Sugar Fed and mill owners were present during the meeting chaired by the Agriculture Minister in the second week of November,” said an official.
The board officials further said they have received no formal representation to reconsider the rates, which are already higher than those being offered in Punjab for all three varieties.
“Any demand for a further hike, based on the demand of farmers of Maharashtra, is unjustified because we have a sugar recovery of 9.1 per cent against over 13 per cent recovery from cane produced in Maharashtra. We fluctuate around 9 per cent, give or take 0.25 per cent, season after season. The total recovery, including molasses and other by products is not more than 20 per cent in Haryana,” said an official.
Though the crushing season has taken off, the failure of the government to notify the rates was beginning to give a false hope to the farmers.
According to sources, the minutes of the board meeting were received late last week and would most certainly be notified this coming week. Thereby, dashing all hopes.
“The notification of the rates is a formality. The farmers are well aware of the rates they will be getting for their produce. At present, crushing has already begun in 10 mills of Haryana,” said an official.