Sugarcane farmers welcome Central committee, but will not end protest till MSP and FRP are revised

Sugarcane farmers in Karnataka seeking fair prices for sugarcane have welcomed the Union Government’s decision to form a committee to look into their demands. However, they have decided to continue their protest till the government announces revised Minimum Selling Price for sugar and Fair and Remunerative Price for sugarcane.

Chunappa Pujeri told reporters in Mukti Mathi near Belagavi on October 15 that farmers welcome the formation of a four-member committee headed by agriculture scientist Ramesh Chand. “It is good that the committee has representation of all stakeholders. It has been told to look into MSP, FRP, and all related issues. We hope the committee gives its report soon, and that the Union Government implements it. However, this is no reason for us to withdraw the protest. We will continue till the Centre announces a MSP of at least ₹60 per kg of sugar and ₹5,500 of FRP for sugarcane.”

Shashikant Padasalagi Guruji, farmers’ leader, said that fulfilling the demand would put no additional financial burden on the government. “We are asking for a ₹60 per kg MSP for sugar. What is wrong in that? What is the price of sugar in the market now? Is the government not selling domestic and commercial LPG cylinders at different rates? Why can it not fix separate prices for domestic consumption of sugar and those bought by industrial houses? Why does the government want to keep farmers poor in the name of keeping food prices under control?”

Raju Shetty, leader of Maharashtra Shetkari Sanghatan, said its members would join the Hubballi Chalo Padayatra from Kolhapur and nearby places in solidarity with farmers of Karnataka.

‘Ministers were not serious, came unprepared for meeting with sugarcane farmers’

Meanwhile, Karnataka’s Minister for Cooperation Laxman Savadi said the Union Government had not acted in a responsible manner. “I am disappointed with the Union Government,” the Minister told reporters in Chikkodi on October 15.

“Along with Sugar Minister Rudrappa Lamani, I attended the meeting of farmers with officials in New Delhi on October 12. But it seemed to me that Union Ministers Shivaraj Singh Chauhan and Pralhad Joshi, and the others had come unprepared for the meeting. Ideally, they should have come to the meeting after obtaining prior permission from the Union Cabinet about the possibility of revising MSP and FRP. They should have addressed the grievances of sugarcane growers and announced a decision regarding revision of these two price points. They did no such thing. They were only talking about the formation of a committee in a week, its recommendation in a mont, or so, and a final decision on revision a few weeks later. There was no sense of urgency in any of them. I felt, just like several other farmers’ leaders, that their response to the problems of sugarcane farmers was not appropriate,” he said.