Cane farmers demand payment of dues; seek loan, toll waivers

Interacting with the media, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association president Dr SA Chinnasamy said the government should take steps to ensure immediate payment of pending cane dues of more than Rs 2,000 crore to1.85 lakh farmers, due to which, farmers paid up to Rs100 crore interest. Those unable to do so, committed suicide, he added. Of the 400 sugar mills in the private and cooperative sectors, only three had paid pending cane dues till date, he added.

Calling on the state government to waive all farm related loans, to ensure a helping hand to farmers financially, he said one way to help farmers was for the state government to order toll plazas in Tamil Nadu not to collect toll from lorries carrying cane to sugar mills. Presently this practice was in vogue only in three toll plazas in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district at Pallikonda, Walajahpet and Vaniyambadi, he added.

It maybe recalled that the stoppage of cane laden lorries at the Pallikonda plaza a month ago resulted in a ruckus involving police, plaza staff and farmers, till officials intervened and announced an exemption of toll for such vehicles.

Demanding a cane price of Rs 4,000 per tonne, he said the price for the current cane year was yet to be fixed, despite which, farmers had started supplying cane to various sugar mills.