Amilo, Azamgarh: Sugarcane farmers staged a protest on Wednesday at the gate of the The Kisan Sahkari Chini Mills, Sathiaon after it was shut down, leaving their produce unweighed and stranded. The farmers demanded that the sugarcane loaded on waiting trolleys be weighed immediately, reported Amar Ujala.
According to the protesting farmers, the mill management failed to follow the District Magistrate’s recent orders, which directed that crushing should continue as long as sugarcane was arriving. Despite large quantities of sugarcane still left in the fields, the mill was shut down on Tuesday at 6 a.m, as per the media report.
Farmers claim that just two hours after the closure, long queues of sugarcane-laden tractor trolleys began forming outside the mill. A total of 26 trolleys were reported to be waiting at the gate, but the staff did not allow entry, and the mill gate remained locked.
By Wednesday, farmers were still waiting for their sugarcane to be weighed. After 30 hours had passed with no action, they began protesting at the gate and raised slogans against the mill management. Farmers expressed frustration, saying that slips for sugarcane delivery were being issued on April 12, yet the mill was shut down just three days later, on April 15.
They warned that the sugarcane left in the trolleys was drying up, leading to losses for the farmers. “This is a clear case of mismanagement. The DM had clearly said the mill must remain open while cane is coming in, but no one is listening,” one of the farmers said.
