Daijiworld Media Network - Kolhapur
Kolhapur, Nov 5: The agitation over sugarcane prices in western Maharashtra has intensified, with Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader and former MP Raju Shetti warning of a complete shutdown in Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts if the government fails to resolve the dispute. The farmers' organisation is demanding an initial payment of Rs 4,200 per tonne for sugarcane.
The warning comes amid an ongoing agitation that has severely disrupted traffic on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway. Farmers led by the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana have been staging road blockades at Nagthane in Satara district and near the Kini toll plaza in Kolhapur district, bringing traffic on a major stretch of the highway to a standstill.
According to reports, the blockade continued into its second day on November 5, with nearly 120 km of the highway between Nagthane and Sangli Phata remaining affected. Hundreds of trucks and other vehicles were stranded, while police diverted traffic through alternative routes, including Rahimatpur, Pusesavali, Sangli and Ankali. The diversions also resulted in congestion in several towns and villages.
The organisation had initially demanded an initial payment of Rs 4,500 per tonne for sugarcane. However, Shetti subsequently indicated that farmers were prepared to settle for Rs 4,200 per tonne. He said the revised demand was aimed at finding a solution to the dispute, but maintained that farmers would not accept lower payments.
Shetti also disclosed that a proposal of Rs 3,850 per tonne had been put forward by Minister Hasan Mushrif during discussions, but the organisation rejected it. The farmers' leader has urged the government to intervene and ensure that sugarcane growers receive a remunerative price for their produce.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government fixes the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), which sugar mills are required to pay, and maintained that the issue of payments above the FRP involved negotiations between farmers and mill owners. He said Minister Hasan Mushrif had been asked to initiate discussions and help resolve the situation.
Shetti, meanwhile, warned that if the government failed to respond to the farmers' demands, a complete bandh would be observed in Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts. The proposed shutdown would affect road transport, commercial establishments and other regular activities.
The farmers' organisation has also raised broader concerns over the economics of sugarcane cultivation. It has demanded that the Centre increase the minimum selling price of sugar from the existing level to Rs 50 per kg and raise the ethanol procurement price to Rs 70 per litre. According to the organisation, higher realisations for sugar and ethanol should translate into better payments to sugarcane growers.
Shetti has alleged that sugar factories are unwilling to share the benefits of higher sugar prices with farmers and are attempting to keep the initial payments low. These allegations form a major part of the ongoing dispute between the farmers' organisation and sugar mill managements.
The agitation has also affected transporters and other highway users. Shetti publicly apologised to commuters and truck drivers for the inconvenience caused by the blockade, but said the farmers had been compelled to take to the streets because their demands had not been addressed.
The issue has attracted political attention, with NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) state president Shashikant Shinde visiting the protest site at Nagthane and extending support to the farmers' demand. He called for urgent government intervention and suggested that assistance to sugar factories could be considered to help resolve the price dispute without adversely affecting either farmers or mills.
Meanwhile, Centre-appointed expert Ramesh Chand has held discussions with representatives of the sugar industry on issues including the minimum selling price of sugar and ethanol procurement rates. The stakeholders' suggestions are expected to be conveyed to the Centre for consideration.
With farmers maintaining their blockade and the organisation warning of a wider shutdown, the coming days are crucial for negotiations between the government, sugar mill owners and sugarcane growers.