Decrease in sugarcane price economy upsets farmers

By Our Correspondent

SARLAHI, Dec 23: The price of seeds, manure and labour may have increased, but Indushankar Sugar Mill has decreased the price of sugarcane this year, greatly upsetting the sugarcane farmers in this district.

The main buyer of sugarcane in the district has reduced the price of sugarcane from Rs. 140 a quintal to Rs. 120 this year. Besides, the industry has fixed the mill gate price of the raw material at Rs.130 per quintal.

Farmers have accused the industry of decreasing the price of sugarcane at a time when farmers are strongly demanding an increase.

"Owners of sugar factories have been encouraged to increase the price of surgarcane due to the appointment of businesspeople to the posts of ministers," said Pushkar Mahat, a sugarcane farmer. He also informed that they have formed a Mill Gate Farmers' Problem Resolution Committee (MGFPRC) to revolt against the price reduction.

According to another sugarcane farmer Chudamani Wagle, they have constituted a separate committee as the concerned authorities like the Sugarcane Producers' Federation and Sugarcane Producers' Association were unable to voice the problems faced by the farmers. We are demanding a price of Rs.168 a quintal, he said. He accused the sugar factory owners of exploiting the farmers by reducing the price of sugarcane at a time when the price of seeds, manure and pesticides are increasing.

There are several reasons why the price of sugarcane has gone down, says Krishnachandra Das, general manager of Indushankar Sugar Mill. "The price of sugarcane has gone down drastically in India this year, and so the probability of importing sugar at a cheaper price from India, taking advantage of the open border, has gone up, he said.

However, Mahalaxmi Sugar Industry of Rupandehi has fixed the price of a quintal of sugarcane at Rs. 143.

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