JOIN USSugarcane growers attempt to lay siege to Mysuru DC office
Over 300 sugarcane growers staged a protest and attempted to lay siege to the office of Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru district on Tuesday urging the state government to ensure that all the sugar factories in the State implement the orders of the Commissioner of Karnataka Directorate of Sugarcane Development and Sugar which was passed on December 29, 2022.
They were prevented by the police. Additional Deputy Commissioner K Kavitha Rajaram met them while Deputy Commissioner Dr K V Rajendra, who is out of station, spoke to them over phone and assured them of resolving the issue in two days.
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President of State Sugarcane Growers Association Kurbur Shanthakumar, who led the protest. said that as per the orders, the sugar factories in the State producing ethanol must pay Rs 150 per tonne sugarcane along with Fair Remuneration Price (FRP) fixed by Central government for the season 2022-23. Sugar factories not producing ethanol must pay Rs 100 per tonne sugarcane along with FRP. But none of the factories have paid this additional money so far.
He added that there are over 25 lakh sugarcane farmers in the State. There are 78 sugarcane factories in the State and 40 of them produce ethanol.
While all these factories crush seven crore tonne sugarcane per year, they are supposed to pay Rs 950 crore to sugarcane farmers as per the orders. Bannari Amma Sugar Factory in Mysuru district alone (which produces ethanol) crushes 15 lakh tonne sugarcane per year, and they are supposed to pay Rs 22 crore to sugarcane growers.