Growers urge Modi to regulate sugar recovery rate

Sugarcane growers, under the banner of Raitha Hita Rakshana Samiti, have written to PM Narendra Modi on Friday, claiming that the sugar factories in Mudhol are cheating the farmers and the government, in terms of cane weight and recovery rates.

The farmers alleged that the district administration was supporting the factory owners in this regard. The sugar factories in Kolhapur and Sangli in Maharashtra and Belagavi in the state show 13-13:80 recovery. All the 11 sugar factories in the district are capable to crush one crore metric tonne sugarcane annually.

But they are showing 10-10:80 recovery. By doing so, 2% to 3.5% less recovery is showing per tonne sugarcane. With this farmers are facing a loss of Rs 550 to 682 per tonne sugarcane, the growers alleged. The farmers accused the factories of cheating both the Central and state governments by minimising the sugarcane cess and excise cess. They appealed to Modi to finalise the recovery rate and weight of sugarcane, by implementing the digital system.

Meanwhile, the dawn-to-dusk Mudhol bandh on Friday called by the sugarcane growers received an overwhelming response.

Schools and colleges were declared a holiday in view of the bandh. Buses remained off-road and the traders shut their shops voluntarily, expressing their solidarity with the farmers’ agitation. The growers have been demanding their pending dues from the factories and an MSP of Rs 2,500 per tonne of cane.