New Delhi: After fighting the drought, farmers in Uttar Pradesh are fighting to get a fair price for sugarcane. Their discontent is the latest battleground for poltical upmanship in the state.
Sugarcane farmers resorted to a chakka jam in the western part of the state on Monday, demanding Rs 280 per quintal of sugarcane. However, at Rs 130 per quintal, the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) set by the Central Government is just half of what they want.
While the State Advisory Price (SAP), fixed by the UP government is Rs 165 per quintal.
The farmers' discontent is the new political battlefield in Uttar Pradesh and Opposition parties like the RLD and Sawajwadi Party are taking on Chief Minister Mayawati.
"They have raised the sugarcane prices by a few rupees. The Central and the state government are together in this," said SP leader, Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Meanwhile, UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi rushed to Delhi, but the UPA Government at the Centre was cleverly passing the buck to the state government, saying both mill owners and farmers were free to pay more than the FRP. In other words, if the Uttar Pradesh government was worried - let it pay the difference.
Congress leader, Digvijay Singh said, "The state government must ensure that farmers get a fair price."
With farmers burning the raw imported sugar and threatening to paralyse the mills in the peak season, the state government has to act first, but it has little that is concrete to offer.
After fighting the drought, farmers in Uttar Pradesh are now fighting for a fair price and are caught between the FRP by the Central Government and the SAP by the state government, both of which they say are low. After all, when mill owners are making huge profits, why should the farmers not get a share.
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar met sugar mill owners from Uttar Pradesh in a bid to resolve a rift over prices. He has asked UP Sugar Mills Association to hold talks with the farmers association at the earliest.
Pawar says sugar mill owners have reportedly agreed to pay farmers a higher price for sugar.
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