Sugar cane growers threaten stir over price

Members of the State Sugar cane Growers Association have threatened to hold a hunger strike beginning from the first day of the Budget session of the State legislature, if the government fails to implement the State Advisory Price (SAP) rule for the benefit of sugarcane farmers in the State. 

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Association president Kuruburu Shantakumar said since the SAP rule was not in force, most sugar factories in the State did not bother to obey the orders of even the chief minister with regard to minimum support price (MSP).  

Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda had directed the sugar factories to pay an MSP of Rs 2,000 per tonne of sugar cane, besides clearing the dues of last year, to the farmers. Only a few factories had obeyed the direction of Gowda, while the others did not, he alleged.