Karnataka: Farmers ask government to lift restrictions on transportation and sale of sugarcane in open market
Karnataka Sugarcane Cultivators’ Association members protested in Mysuru, demanding a higher Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of at least ₹4,000 per tonne and removal of restrictions on sugarcane transportation and sale in the open market. They also sought a reduction in sugar recovery rate from 10.5% to 8.5% and installation of weighing machines at sugar mills to prevent faulty weighing. The current FRP is ₹3,400 per tonne for a sugar recovery rate of 10.25%. Farmers from Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts are severely affected by the existing sugar recovery rate.
Mysuru: Members of the Karnataka Sugarcane Cultivators’ Association staged a demonstration on Tuesday, demanding a higher Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for farmers. The protest, led by Bhagyaraju, also called for the removal of restrictions on the transportation and sale of sugarcane in the open market, reported The Hindu.
Bhagyaraju argued that lifting the restriction on transporting sugarcane from one district to another for open market sales would enable farmers to secure better prices and reduce delays in harvesting and crushing.
The association highlighted the plight of sugarcane cultivators from Mysuru and Chamarajanagar, who have been adversely affected by the government’s high sugar recovery rate per tonne. They wanted that the rate should be brought down from 10.5 per cent to 8.5 per cent.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the FRP of sugarcane for the 2024-25 season at ₹3,400 per tonne for a sugar recovery rate of 10.25 per cent. Farmers root for a revised FRP of at least ₹4,000 a tonne.
The farmers also demanded that the Agricultural Produce Market Committee install weighing machines at all sugar mills, because faulty weighing may sometimes work to the disadvantage of the cultivators.
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