Representatives of sugarcane growers, who met here today demanded that the Government announce a State advisory price of Rs.2500 a ton for sugarcane without further delay.
The representatives, who met with Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan in the chair, faulted the Government for not announcing the SAP although the crushing season has started. Sugarcane growers should be remunerated adequately considering the steep escalation in the cost of production.
Mr. P. Bhaskara Rao, Convener, Federation of Independent Farmers' Organizations, convened the meeting.
Cane growers' representatives from Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, and Krishna districts took part in the conference.
Dr. JP in his opening remarks said that sugar factory managements have been exploiting loopholes in the A.P. Sugarcane (Regulation of Supply and Purchase) Act, 1961. to exploit farmers.
The meeting in a resolution requested Dr. JP to draft an amendment to the Act to address the loopholes in it and submit it to the Assembly.
The representatives plan to meet the Chief Minister soon and represent their problems.
If the Government/sugar factories continue to ignore cane growers' problems, they will have no alternative to switching to other crops from the next crop season, said a resolution adopted by the meeting.
Those who took part in the conference included M. Appi Reddy, K. Butchi Reddy, P. Kishen Rao, V. Nagi Reddy, P. Narasimha Reddy, P. Anji Reddy K. Ajay, Ajay R. Wadiyar, B Narasimha Reddy. M. Narayana Reddy, D. Linga Reddy, M. Ganga Rajam and T. Srinivas.
