Pay dues to farmers: Shetti to millers
Kolhapur: Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetti has demanded that sugar mills pay the agreed-upon Rs 400 per tonne above the Centre’s fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane by October 15. This follows a 10-hour blockade of the Pune-Bengaluru highway in November 2022, which led to a written assurance from millers to pay an additional Rs 50-100 per tonne. Shetti threatens to halt sugarcane harvesting and crushing if payments are not made.
Kolhapur: Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetti has demanded sugar millers from the district to pay the sugar cane price they had agreed upon after Shetti’s 10-hour blockade of the Pune-Bengaluru national highway in Nov last year.
Shetti said, “The sugar mills will not be allowed to harvest and crush the produce if sugar millers do not pay the agreed-upon price of sugar cane before Oct 15.”
Shetti had demanded Rs400 per tonne, in addition to the fair and remunerative price (FRP) fixed by the Centre, to the sugar cane farmers.
He claimed that the mills have earned a profit from the stable sugar prices and increase in the ethanol prices, so the millers must pay Rs 400 per tonne in addition to the FRP.
Despite blocking the national highway and frequent protests earlier, the millers did not agree.
However, after the highway blockade, guardian minister Hasan Mushrif intervened and got the millers on board.
“The millers gave a written assurance that they will pay Rs50 to Rs100 per tonne on the basis of the sugar recovery rate. While the FRP amount is paid, as per revenue sharing formula, the additional amount both farmers and millers have agreed upon must also be paid,” said Shetti.
Shetti held a padyatra from Kagal to Kolhapur to bring attention to the pending farmers’ demands and encourage them to continue raising their voices against the construction of the Shaktipeeth Expressway until it is scrapped. “Crushing season usually begins in Oct. But we will not let the sugar cane be cut and taken to the mills until the millers pay the dues assured to the farmers,” said Shetti, who despite a second-time defeat in Lok Sabha election, is hitting the streets over farmers’ issues.
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