Hundreds of agitating cane farmers, who had laid seige to Shamli railway station in Muzaffarnagar on Saturday night and set fire to a raw sugar consignment imported from Brazil, allowed the goods train they had blocked to leave the station on Sunday evening after the authorities agreed to send back the imported sugar.
The farmers, belonging to the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Rashtiya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan and Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, were protesting against the sugarcane purchase policy of the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government. The farmers had pledged not to allow any imported raw sugar to be taken inside a sugar factory and had laid siege on the train carrying approximately 25,000 quintals of raw sugar from Mumbai port. They also stopped several trucks carrying sugar on the highway near Shamli and tried to burn them, said the police.
Speaking to FE, Rakesh Tilait of the BKU said, ?Sugar factories are importing raw sugar at Rs 25 a kg and processing it at an additional cost of Rs 8, thereby taking the total cost of finished sugar to Rs 33 per kg. This is unfair, especially since millers say that they are not in a position to pay farmers Rs 280 per quintal? They cannot pay their own farmers, but can get imported sugar at a higher price.?
The agitating farmers had threatened not to allow any raw sugar inside the state if they were not paid the price they demanded. To worsen matters, while the farmers were already protesting the Rs 165-170 SAP fixed by the state government, which they termed ?inadequate?, the Centre came out with a FRP lesser than the SAP. However, the farmers are demanding a price of Rs 280 per quintal of cane. Last year, the SAP was Rs 140.
Narendra Kumar (40) of Rangel village allegedly committed suicide in Saharanpur district on Saturday after setting his sugarcane crop on fire, said district magistrate Alok Kumar.
Farmers of Zozohe, Bihari, Titerwara villages in the district also burnt their crops to protest against the government decision.