Amolraje Vasantrao Jadhav, Secretary of the Maharashtra State Sugarcane Harvesting Machine Owners Association, along with other members, presented a memorandum containing several key demands to Sugar Commissioner Siddharam Salimath on Wednesday. The memorandum called for a 50% increase in harvesting rates, a three-year extension for loan repayments, and a 1.5% reduction in trash deductions.
Meanwhile, the state’s 1300 machine owners have announced plans for an indefinite protest in front of the Sugar Commissioner’s office in Pune, starting March 10.
The memorandum also stressed the need for an increase in the number of sugarcane harvesting and transport machines, as agricultural mechanization is expanding rapidly. Currently, 1300 machines are in operation, but approximately 900 of these machines have not received subsidies since 2019, as per the release.
The association further highlighted the financial burden caused by rising diesel prices, with machines consuming 3 liters of diesel to harvest one ton of sugarcane, costing between Rs. 260 and 280. The total operating costs, which include the driver’s salary and repair expenses, amount to Rs. 460 per ton, yet the factories are paying only Rs. 450 to 500 per ton, making it increasingly difficult for machine owners to keep up with bank repayments, reported Free Press Journal.
The association has urged authorities to address their demands promptly, citing an unfair 13.5% trash deduction imposed on farmers, harvesters, and transporters.
The submission was attended by association members Abhay Kolhe, Rajabhau Lomte, Dhananjay Kale, Ganesh Yadav, Nilesh Bagate, Kaleem Shaikh, Sharad Chavan, Rahul Ithape, and Rajat Nalawade.
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