Despite more than four months still remaining for the new sugar cycle to begin in the country?s largest cane growing state of Uttar Pradesh, the ground seems to have been laid for a fresh round of strife among the different stakeholders of the sugar industry on cane price.
While the BSP government is gripped by the highly politicised issue, especially as this also happens to be the government?s last year in office and it would not like to antagonize the farmer lobby, which can make or mar things decisively for any political party. The farmer lobby will not want to lose this opportunity where it can gain maximum benefit for the cultivators.
Speaking to FE after meeting Sugarcane Commissioner, Kamran Rizvi, VM Singh, convenor of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan,alongwith a hundred-odd supporters said that the foremost demand of the farmers is that the government declare the State Advised Price (SAP) of sugarcane at a minimum of R260 per quintal.
?If the price is less than this, the farmers will not sell their cane to the millers,? threatened Singh, adding that in the 2009-10 season, millers had closed the season by buying cane at a whopping R300/quintal from farmers.
?Last year,the government declared the SAP at R205 per quintal, which was absolutely shocking. It is for this reason only, that we thought it was better to let the government know well in time that the farmers need to be compensated properly otherwise it will lead to a lot of hardship for everyone,? he said adding that in 2009-10 crushing yearfarmers had closed the season at R 260 per quintal officially on paper, while the millers in different parts of the state paid extra for more cane. It may be mentioned that every year, the millers cry foul over the high SAP set by the UP government and state that there should be a single cane price policy, as decided by the Centre in the form of the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP).
A fresh battle of nerves between the two most important stakeholders of the industry, the farmers and the private sugar millers, is expected to rock the nation and give the state government sleepless nights.
Interestingly, while the farmers are demanding R260 for every quintal of cane, the millers categorically state that they are in no condition to pay anything beyond last year?s SAP of R205 per quintal. Though the sparring between both the stakeholders is a regular feature in the state, what is unusual is the huge difference between the ideal price demanded by both of them.