Maharashtra farmers’ bodies on Friday protested at the State Sugar Commissionerate and staged a morcha against the delay in the payment of Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) by sugar mills in the state. These bodies which have also sought a grant of Rs 5 per litre have also threatened to cut milk supplies to Mumbai from July 16 if their demands are not met.
The morcha was staged by the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) and aggressive farmer organisation led by Raju Shetti. SSS has given the sugar mills another 15 days to clear the pending dues, failing which the association has sought Revenue and Recovery Certificate (RRC) against erring millers. If the millers do not clear the dues by June 21, the association plans to sit before the Sugar Commissioner and ensure that action is taken against the millers, Raju Shetti said. The Commissioner should give orders for auction of their sugar and confiscation of their properties under RRC, he said.
Shetti sought the immediate payment of the first instalment of FRP dues. He said millers had not kept their word and made great cuts in the first instalment while paying the farmers. Thereafter, sugar prices fell because of which millers did not make payments to farmers, he said. “After the Centre announced incentives to the sector and a Minimum Floor Price, prices have risen from Rs 2,800 to Rs 3,100 per quintal.
The economic condition of farmers has deteriorated since they don’t get the desired price for produce. Therefore, millers should give farmers the promised amount of FRP in addition to the Rs 200 per tonne as discussed earlier,” he said.
According to Raju Shetti, though farmers have given cane to sugar mills over six months ago, millers are yet to make payments. Around Rs 1,500 crore still remained in FRP dues, he said.
When contacted Sambhaji Kadu Patil, sugar commissioner, Maharashtra, said farmers’ dues had dipped to Rs 1,543 crore as on date. Last week, it was `1,768 crore.
He said 86 mills had made 100% of the payments and 88 mills had paid 70% of the dues while 21 mills had made less than 70% of the payments. Notices have been issued to all the mills that have not cleared the entire payments, he said. The incentives granted by the Centre and improving prices should now bring the momentum back, he said.
Shetti also said farmers were not getting crop loans because of government policies. Although the government had promised 1.5 times the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of commodities, this is yet to happen, he said.
