Sangareddy: The woes of sugarcane farmers from Zaheerabad area continues as the Trident sugar mill in their locality has not taken up the crushing operations and they are forced to export the cane to other mills outside the region. The Trident Sugars owes Rs 12.69 crore cane arrears to the farmers and despite the intervention by the Finance Minister T. Harish Rao and collector M. Hanumantha Rao, the deadlock continues.
The mill has stopped operations and the farmers in the region that have grown sugarcane over 15,000 acres are searching for the sugar mills that can purchase their cane for crushing. The farmers are sending cane to mills located in other parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Some farmers have sold their cane to the agents to find the mills to crush their cane.
“The agents pay them Rs 2,150 to Rs 2,300 per tonne while the mill pays them Rs 2,400 per tonne. We are relieved that at least our cane is sold and we get assured payment and hence we are selling cane to the agents,” said a farmer from the region.
Tridents Sugars meanwhile has cleared Rs 28.1 lakh cane arrears to the cane farmers.
