Kolhapur: The incidents of farmers stopping sugar cane carrying tractors and vehicles in different parts of the district point
towards building confrontation over sugar cane purchase pricing.
The members of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana stalled cane cutting and tractors carrying cane to mills at various places in
Kagal, Radhanagari and Karveer taluka of Kolhapur district over the past couple of days.
In a sugarcane conference organised on October 27, SSS leader Raju Shetti indicated that they would not allow sugar mills start crushing till government accepts their demand of first instalment of cane crop.
Bhagwan Kate, Kolhapur district unit head of SSS, said, “Members of our organisation are touring villages in Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts and appealing farmers not to send their sugar cane crop to mills till our demands are accepted. The members are on roads and are stopping the cane cutting and obstructing tractors carrying cane to the mills.”
He added that they were keeping a watch on all the sugar mills in the region, which is considered the sugar bowl of the country. So far, not a single sugar mill has started functioning to its full capacity.
“In Shirol and Hatkanangle talukas, the situation is fully under our control and all the mills are yet to start crushing there. We have organised a motorcycle rally on Thursday to cover these two talukas. We will spread message not to take up cane cutting
till our demands are not met,” he said.
Shetti has already demanded a change in the recovery base from 10% to 9.5% and FRP (Rs 2,750) + Rs 200 per tonne linked to this recovery rate.
Reacting on Shetti’s agitation, state agriculture minister Sadabhau Khot said that the commission for agricultural costs and prices (CACP) has changed the recovery base from 9.5% to 10% in consultation with various experts.
“Being an MP and farmers’ representative, it was his duty to question CACP over this and not to speak after the rates were declared. The rates have been declared keeping in view the benefit to farmers,” Khot said.