Sugarcane farmers in Rajapalayam and Srivilliputtur are worried over the delay in cutting of canes grown over 5,000 acres due to non-availability of labour force.
The canes that were cultivated from the month of March to May should be cut within 12 months. However, after the COVID-19 lockdown was announced, the cutting has not commenced and is getting delayed.
“Every farmer has invested at least ₹50,000 per acre and are anxiously waiting for Dharani Sugars to cut the cane. But the officials of the factory are complaining over non-availability of permission to ferry workers from other districts under the lockdown,” president of Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, N.A. Ramachandra Raja, said.
The farmers have already sought the district administration’s intervention in bringing the workers.
“Eighty per cent of the workforce for cutting the cane has to be brought from other districts like Villupuram and Cuddalore. We require clearance from the State government to bring a huge workforce as cutting the cane in the entire area in Srivilliputtur, Watrap, Seithur and Rajapalayam is not possible by the 20% workforce locally available,” said a representative of Dharani Sugars.
The cutting had been at least one month behind schedule, he added.
An official of the Department of Agriculture said that with all the three districts of Villupuram, Cuddalore and Virudhunagar classified under Red Zone for COVID-19 infection, there were some practical difficulties.
“Bringing around 500 workers from the Red Zone at this juncture would be a great risk. Besides, those workers are not willing to undergo quarantine in Virudhunagar district,” he said.
With Rajapalayam having registered many positive cases in recent days, the administration was treading cautiously on this issue.
The factory official said that the sugar mill was running with only around 20% capacity due to lack of cane.
Mr. Ramachandra Raja appealed to the State government to take a favourable decision at the earliest.
