At the recent annual general body meeting of Pune’s
Vasantdada Sugar Institute, agriculture and food processing minister
Sharad Pawar urged the farmers’ unions, who were demanding that the
sugar factories pay them Rs 3,000-Rs 3,500 per tonne of sugarcane
instead of Rs 2,600 per tonne (the price currently being offered), to
run the ailing factories.
Differences have arisen between the cooperative factories and farmers because the former are claiming that their incomes are low as the market price of sugar has reduced, while the latter are demanding more money for their produce.
Speaking to FnB News via telephone on the condition of anonymity, a source from the ministry of agriculture and food processing industries confirmed that Pawar challenged the farmers’ unions, and added that the ministry would like to know if they would be able to pay Rs 3,000-Rs 3,500 per tonne of sugarcane.
He added, “The Centre has also proposed a loan of Rs 7,200 crore for cooperative sugar factories in Maharashtra to deal with the financial problems they are grappling with and pay the farmers. It is also taking a number of steps to sort out the problems between the farmers and the industry. He loan would have to be repaid to the Centre within a period of five years.”
Tariq Anwar, minister of state for agriculture and food processing industries, said, “Measures should be taken by the sugar factories and the bodies that are dealing with the sugar industries to educate the farmers and general public about the crisis. There are many unions farmers who are presenting a wrong picture of the sugar crises in the states and in the other parts of the country.”
“The managements of the sugar factories should reach out to the people and inform them about the problems and strengths of their sector. This will help mitigate the sugar crisis. We also aim to export nearly 40 lakh tonne of sugar, which will help generate more revenue for the government,” he added.
“The export would also reduce the stock of sugar available in the country, which will ultimately benefit the farmers in getting better prices for their commodities,” Anwar said.
Differences have arisen between the cooperative factories and farmers because the former are claiming that their incomes are low as the market price of sugar has reduced, while the latter are demanding more money for their produce.
Speaking to FnB News via telephone on the condition of anonymity, a source from the ministry of agriculture and food processing industries confirmed that Pawar challenged the farmers’ unions, and added that the ministry would like to know if they would be able to pay Rs 3,000-Rs 3,500 per tonne of sugarcane.
He added, “The Centre has also proposed a loan of Rs 7,200 crore for cooperative sugar factories in Maharashtra to deal with the financial problems they are grappling with and pay the farmers. It is also taking a number of steps to sort out the problems between the farmers and the industry. He loan would have to be repaid to the Centre within a period of five years.”
Tariq Anwar, minister of state for agriculture and food processing industries, said, “Measures should be taken by the sugar factories and the bodies that are dealing with the sugar industries to educate the farmers and general public about the crisis. There are many unions farmers who are presenting a wrong picture of the sugar crises in the states and in the other parts of the country.”
“The managements of the sugar factories should reach out to the people and inform them about the problems and strengths of their sector. This will help mitigate the sugar crisis. We also aim to export nearly 40 lakh tonne of sugar, which will help generate more revenue for the government,” he added.
“The export would also reduce the stock of sugar available in the country, which will ultimately benefit the farmers in getting better prices for their commodities,” Anwar said.
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