Deputy Commissioner V.V. Jyothsna has directed all the sugar factories in the district not to withhold payments due to farmers for the sugarcane supplied to them for more than 15 days.
Chairing a joint meeting of the sugarcane growers and representatives of sugar factories in Kalaburagi on Saturday, Ms. Jyothsna was responding to the complaints of sugarcane growers that the factories are not settling their dues for cane crushed during the current season.
The delay in liquidating stocks should not be the reason for the inordinate delay in payment. As per the Sugarcane Control Order, 1966, the factories were bound by the stipulation fixed by the government to clear payments within 15 days after the supply of cane.
District president of the Sugarcane Growers’ Association Jagadish Patil Rajapur and Aland taluk president of the association Dharmraj Sahu argued that though the Centre has fixed the Fair and Remunerative Price for 2020-21 at ₹2,850 per tonne, the KPR Sugar Factory in Vijayapura district was paying ₹2,300 per tonne. Mr. Rajapur demanded the sugar factories in the district pay at least ₹2,500 per tonne of Sugarcane.
Sugarcane growers demanded to fix FRP at ₹2,500 per tonne for the ex-field in which the factory themselves will cut and transport the sugarcane from the field.
For the current year, the ex-gate price fixed for NSL Sugars is ₹2,756, Shree Renuka Sugars is ₹2,853, Ugar Sugars is ₹2,753. The factories must pay a fixed amount to the farmers those harvesting and transporting themselves to the factory’s gate.
The Deputy Commissioner was chairing a meeting of representatives of Shree Renuka Sugars Ltd., NSL Sugars, and Ugar Sugar Works Ltd. in Kalaburagi district and Core Green Sugar in Shahapur taluk in Yadgir district and the Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association.
She ordered the issue of show-cause notice to the Core Green Sugar for remaining absent at the meeting.
