Cane ryots seek govt help to boost sugar production

According to sugarcane farmers in the delta region, sugar production has declined too low during 2019-20. They said that during 2011-12, the production was around 23 lakh tonnes and that this had declined to 8.5 lakh tonnes during 2018-19. This shows that there was a threefold decline in sugar production in just eight years, they added.

“This decline is due to the shrinking area of sugarcane cultivation and also due to the poor yield. Though these reasons always affect sugarcane farmers, the pending arrears to the tune of several crore rupees has made them now show least interest towards the crop,” said Puliyur A Nagarajan, the State president of TMC farmers’ wing.

With factories denying prompt payment to the farmers, farm workers are also affected to a significant extent, Puliyur Nagarajan said. Nagarajan demanded the Centre to initiate steps to make the factories to pay the dues to the farmers so that they could take up the cultivation with a positive mood. “The government should take a policy decision to ensure sugarcane cultivation is a profitable one for both the factory owners as well as the sugarcane farmers,” Nagarajan said, adding that he had sent a representation to both the Centre as well as the State government to support the sugarcane farmers.

Further, farmer leader P Viswanathan said edible sugarcane is cultivated across the delta, especially in Karur, Pudukkottai, Tiruchy (partly), Thanjavur and Ariyalur. With the prevailing factors, there will hence be shortage of sugarcane during Pongal and the price of each piece would go up, Viswanthan added.