Chennai: PMK founder S Ramadoss has urged the Centre and state government to increase the procurement price of sugarcane as the existing price is not sufficient to meet the cost of cultivation, reports Dtnext.
He issued a statement stating that the government has fixed the sugarcane procurement which is not sufficient to meet the cultivation cost.
The central government on Wednesday hiked sugarcane Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) by Rs 10/quintal to Rs 315/qtl for the 2023-24 season for a basic recovery rate of 10.25 per cent. Government has also decided that there shall not be any deduction in case of sugar mills where recovery is below 9.5%. Such farmers will get Rs.291.975/qtl for sugarcane in ensuing sugar season 2023-24 in place of Rs.282.125/qtl in current sugar season 2022-23.
“As sugarcane grown in Tamil Nadu would have 9.50 per cent sugar content usually, they will get only Rs. 2,919 per tonne,” he said.
“Last year the farmers were getting Rs 2,821 per tonne which indicates an increase of Rs 98 in one year. It is unclear on what basis the government arrived cultivation costs. As per as Coimbatore Agricultural University’s estimation made three years ago, cultivation cost of one tonne sugarcane is Rs. 2,985. Even if 5 per cent additional price given, farmers should have received around Rs. 3,500” he added.
