Belagavi : Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene leader Subhash Shirabur on Friday urged Karnataka govt to announce a State Advisory Price (SAP) of Rs 1,000 per tonne above Centre’s Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane.
Transportation deductions should reflect actual distances instead of imposing the same cost on farmers located 20 km and 100 km away, he said. He also demanded changes to ethanol production and procurement policy, including raising govt’s procurement quota from 30% to 90% and the purchase price to Rs 90 per litre. He demanded sugar’s exclusion from the Essential Commodities Act and proposed dual pricing of Rs 50 per kg for domestic consumption and Rs 80 per kg for commercial use.
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Higher mill revenues would enable better sugarcane prices, he said. Shirabur said industrial and commercial entities accounted for three-fourths of sugar consumption, with domestic consumers accounting for one-fourth. He also demanded the immediate declaration of sugarcane prices and commencement of the crushing season, citing rising agricultural costs, labour wages and other expenses. Shirabur called for strict measures to ensure fair prices for growers and prevent irregularities in weighing and payments at sugar factories. He sought a scientific pricing model based on agricultural costs in each state rather than a national average. Citing National Crime Records Bureau records, he claimed that about four lakh farmers had died by suicide nationwide over the past two decades. He sought legislation to fix and revise agricultural produce prices, ensure secure incomes and end farmer suicides . Farmer leaders Suresh Paragannavar, Raghavendra Nayak, Ramesh Wali, Basanagouda Patil and Mallikarjuna Humbi were present. Download the TOI App.