Sugarcane farmers threaten to restart protest if MSP, FRP and SAP not revised now

Sugarcane farmers have threatened to restart their protest if the Union government and the State government do not agree to their demands by Monday. The demands include revision of Minimum Selling Price for sugar, Fair and Remunerative Price for sugarcane from the Centre and State Advised Price from the State.

“Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has told us that he will invite Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, officers, factory owners and farmers for a meeting at the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi on Monday. We have decided to attend it. We will demand that the Centre and the State announce a revised MSP, FRP and SAP before the crushing season and make an announcement to that effect in Belagavi on Monday,” president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene Chunappa Pujeri told reporters in Belagavi on Wednesday.

“We suspended the agitation after Mr. Joshi, the Chief Minister and other leaders requested us to temporarily halt it. They have sought time for the Central panel to study the situation and submit recommendations. We have told them, however, that we cannot wait that long. We want the Centre and the State to make some concrete announcements on Monday. Otherwise, we will go on strike starting Tuesday,” he said.