As Pongal nears, farmers in Salem urge State government to procure sugarcane directly
Sugarcane farmers in the district have urged the State government to issue an order to procure sugarcane directly from them and distribute it through ration shops for Pongal.
N. Babu Janardhanan, a resident of Koodakal in Poolampatti, said that 210 farmers cultivate sugarcane, including 110 registered farmers in our locality. “Around 20,000 stalks of sugarcane are cultivated in an acre of farmland on average, we spend ₹2.80 lakh per one acre including manure and cutting charges over ten months. Last year, the State government issued an order to procure sugarcane from farmers in the fourth week of December, which enabled them to earn a profit of ₹1 lakh to ₹1.20 lakh. But this year, the government has yet to make any announcement in this regard. We understand that the government is placing priority on bringing normalcy to flood-affected districts. But sugarcane farmers are not in a position to decide whether to send sugarcanes to other states. We are hopeful that the government procures sugarcane from farmers and distributes it through ration shops,” Mr. Janardhanan added.
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