Bengaluru, Oct 25 (KNN) To protest against the delay by the State government to increase fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane for the current year, the Karnataka State Sugarcane Farmers’ Association has decided to hold a road blockade agitation across the State on October 27.

The agitation will be followed by a siege of Deputy Commissioners’ offices on October 31.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Sunday, association president Kurubur Shanthakumar regretted that the government had failed to take any decision on increasing the FRP in addition to the price fixed by the Centre even after four ministerial-level meetings.

“The farmers were suspicious about the government’s intentions in view of the silence maintained by elected representatives, even though the farmers have been holding protests for the last four months,” he added.

Contending that sugarcane farmers were receiving Rs 3,800 per tonne in Punjab, Rs 3,500 per tonne in Uttar Pradesh, Rs 4,400 in Gujarat, he said Karnataka farmers should receive a minimum of Rs 3,500 per tonne.

The sugarcane farmers in Karnataka have been on a warpath with the government ever since the Centre announced a FRP of Rs 3,050 per tonne, up from the Rs 2.900 per tonne last season, but also increased the sugar recovery rate from 10 per cent to 10.25 per cent.

Shanthakumar also criticised sugar factories of deceiving farmers and urged the authorities to take action against the factories that were deducting more than the permissible sum towards transport of sugarcane.

The factories should deduct only the sum applicable for the transporting sugarcane from the agricultural fields to the factory on the basis of kilometres. 

The jurisdictional Deputy Commissioners should book a criminal case against the factories for cheating, he said.

Reiterating the association’s demand for complete computerisation of the sugar industry and cultivation in the State, he said that most of the problems faced by farmers will be resolved if the chain of activities is computerised and made available to the farmers on a mobile app.  (KNN Bureau)