People in the sugar belt of Maharashtra, which is spread across Western Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha, may have to brace for disruptions. Agitating sugarcane farmers have called for a two-day bandh from Thursday morning to demand higher prices for their produce.

“The government has not taken a decision on the sugarcane prices. It is almost in rigor mortis,” farmer leader and Lok Sabha MP from Hatkanangale, Raju Shetty, whose Swabhimaani Shetkari Sanghatana has called for the shutdown, told dna. Shetty has sought that sugar mills give cane farmers Rs3,000 per ton as first advance for their produce.

The organisation’s state chief, Sadabhau Khot, said the 48-hour shutdown will begin from 7am.

The state has so far refused to intervene. CM Prithviraj Chavan had recently led an all-party delegation to meet PM Manmohan Singh in New Delhi over this. Singh had then announced the set up of a three-member committee under Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar to examine sugarcane farmers and millers’ problems and suggest remedies.

The already beleaguered cooperative sugar factories, which are known for mismanagement and are largely controlled by Congress and NCP politicians, have claimed they are unable to give high prices to farmers as the price of sugar, which was around Rs3,300-3,400 per quintal in the open market last year, has dipped to about Rs2,600-2,650.

However, Shetty said that despite the fall in sugar price, the retail price, paid by consumers, was almost stagnant. He added Karnataka had declared a price of Rs2,660 (including a bonus of Rs160) per ton for sugarcane.