Kolhapur: Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana founder Raju Shetti has written a letter to sugar commissioner Kunal Khemnar on Saturday, urging him to order sugar factory owners to approve an additional amount beyond the FRP at their annual general meetings.
Speaking to Chinimandi, Raju Shetti said, “Till now, except a few sugar mills, many other mills have not paid the additional amount to the farmers for the last season’s sugarcane. The mills are earning profits because of the cane growers, and hence the mills should give some part of it to the farmers. We are fighting for the rights of farmers, and this fight will continue until our demands are met.”
Sugar mills in the country prioritise producing ethanol and other by-products such as bagasse, co-gen, spirit, alcohol, and malt from sugarcane. This trend has been influenced by the central government’s policies over the past two years, making these activities more profitable for the mills after deducting production costs.”
“Last year, sugar factory owners at Someshwar, Malegaon, Vighnahar, and Bhimashankar earned more profits than the farmers and approved a bonus amount in addition to the fair and remunerative price (FRP) at their annual general meetings. However, other factories in the state have reported that no such resolutions were made at their annual meetings. Therefore, to ensure that farmers receive a bonus from the surplus income generated from sugar and by-products this season, the sugar commissioner should issue an order requiring all sugar factory owners to approve this subject at their annual general meetings,” added Shetti.
