Kolhapur: In a recent development, Raju Shetti, founder of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and former MP, achieved a partial victory in negotiations with sugar mills in Kolhapur. The mills have agreed to pay an additional Rs 50 to Rs 100 per tonne above the government-declared Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane purchased from farmers during the 2022-23 season.
This decision followed a blockade initiated by thousands of sugarcane farmers, led by Shetti, on National Highway 4 (NH-4) connecting Pune and Bengaluru near Kolhapur. The blockade began at 11 am after Shetti paid his respects at the Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur.
NH-4 traffic was redirected via Hatkanangale, Panhala, and other routes, causing significant delays. The protesting farmers vowed to continue their agitation until the sugar mills met their demands.
Shetti initially demanded an extra Rs 400 per tonne over the government-declared FRP for cane sold to mills in the previous season. For the current season, he insisted on FRP as the first installment payment. However, mills rejected this demand, leading to the blockade on NH-4.
After revising his demand, Shetti proposed that farmers should receive an additional Rs 100 per tonne over the FRP for cane sold in the previous season. Following extensive dialogue between millers and farmers, an agreement was reached. It was decided that mills in the district which had paid less than Rs 3,000/tonne would pay Rs 100/tonne over the FRP while those who paid Rs 3,000/tonne or more would pay Rs 50/tonne to farmers.
In light of this agreement, Shetti, who had earlier stated that farmers were prepared to spend the night on the road if their demands were not met, decided to end the agitation, leading to the clearance of the highway.
