Sugarcane Farmers Protest Government's Minimum Support Price
Summary
Sugarcane farmers across the country are protesting the government’s failure to set a minimum support price before the season begins. The Sugarcane Farmers Federation says the proposed cost calculation ignores rising input costs and warns of strong protests if a fair price is not announced soon.
Key Points
- The Sugarcane Farmers Federation says the government has not fixed a minimum support price for sugarcane before the season starts.
- Chairman Shyam Ray says the ministry’s proposal is disrespectful and based on an unrealistic estimate of farmer costs.
- Farmers walked out of a meeting after officials claimed production costs had risen by only 8 rupees per quintal.
- The federation estimates national sugarcane production at about 22.5 million quintals this year.
