The Hindu Business Line : AP sugar cane farmers in crisis as crops pile up

As a result of increased acreage and rise in yields, the State is left with huge tracts of uncrushed cane, leaving thousands of farmers in disarray.

Hyderabad April 22 A fresh agrarian problem seems to be brewing in Andhra Pradesh this season, threatening to throw thousands of sugar cane farmers into financial crisis.

The farmers are a worried lot with the poor prospects of their sugar cane getting a chance to go for crushing.

The fact that 1.35 lakh tonnes of tied-up sugar cane (or `agreemented sugar cane' in the local parlance) still need to go for crushing in the Zaheerabad (Medak district) region alone shows the enormity of the problem.

BUMPER CROP

Following a favourable monsoon condition, sugar cane production has shot up significantly this year. The State expects a bumper crop of 187 lakh tonnes as against the total installed crushing capacity of 160 lakh tonnes of all sugar factories.

The increase in production is attributed to a steep raise in the total acreage to 2.45 lakh hectares from the normal acreage of 2.10 lakh ha.

The State Sugarcane Farmers' Joint Action Committee has pegged the additional (both tied-up and non-tied-up) sugar cane this year at 30 lakh tonnes.

As a result of increased acreage and rise in yields, the State is left with huge tracts of uncrushed sugar cane, leaving thousands of farmers in disarray.

GOVT INTERVENTION

Anticipating trouble, the State Government had announced a two-month extension of crushing period. The decision allows the factories to continue crushing up to June. The factories would get an incentive of Rs 100 for every extra tonne they crush during the extension period.

Mr D. Vasanth Kumar, a sugar cane farmer from Medak district and leader of the State Sugarcane Farmers' Joint Action Committee, told Business Line over phone that extension of crushing period was no solution in itself. "The recovery rate will go down as days pass by. If rains come, it will be very difficult to cut the cane and transport it," he said.

He also criticised the incentive to the factories. "They have already cut down the price, citing a dip of 1.5-2 per cent in recovery rate. The incentive should, in fact, go to the farmers," he said.

Cascading effect

The worst fears of the farmers are not just about this year's crop. Being a long-term crop, it might have a cascading effect in the subsequent crop years.

Unlike in earlier seasons, this year the sugar factories chose to enter into `agreements' on tonnage basis and not on the usual acreage basis. As yields increased this year, the farmers are left with a new problem - the remaining sugar cane that is not tied-up.

As against the normal yield of 20 tonnes, this year farmers reported higher yields up to 30-35 tonnes.

This is not the only problem the farmers face. "The usual problems such as low rates, high labour charges and transport costs continue to dog the farmers," Mr Vasanth Kumar said.

Mr M. Appi Reddy, Convener of the Committee, said the crisis was a very serious one. Two farmers in Medak committed suicide while another died of heart attack, unable to cope with the crisis.

Demands

He demanded that the factories be made to crush the last tonne of sugar cane, both tied-up and non tied-up.

He also demanded that the Government announce a compensation package similar to the one announced by Maharashtra. The neighbouring State announced a compensation of Rs 25,000 a hectare for uncrushed sugar cane.

Mr Vasanth Kumar wanted the Government to include labour jobs in sugar fields in the NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) works.

More Stories on : Sugar | Cultivation | Andhra Pradesh

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