Farmers fetch more selling sugarcane as fodder

Bountiful rainfall, along with good sugarcane harvest in the last two years, has led to some unexpected consequences in Maharashtra.

Sugarcane is fetching more money as cattlefeed, than when sold to sugar factories.

Farmers in districts like Aurangabad, Sangli and Jalna are selling their cane to cattle-feed producers at Rs 2,200 a tonne, while the going rate of sugar factories is Rs 1,800 a tonne, a senior Maharashtra Government official told Business Line.

Cash on spot

“The feed producers pay cash to the farmers on the spot, while sugar factories pay to the farmers after a delay of six months. In comparison to the procurement of cane by sugar mills, the cane procured by the cattle producers is not large but it indicates the emerging trend,” the official said.

Slump in prices

Mr Shankar Mohite, a farmer from Aurangabad with 25 acres of farmland, said that excess sugarcane led to a slump in prices while prices of processed cattlefeed has gone through the roof due to inflation. Feeding animals has become expensive, he said.

“Today a 20-kg sack of jowar based animal feed cost as high as Rs 700-800. Costs of other feeds have also risen significantly. For tending the grazing animals in open fields, farmhands are not available; animals have to be fed in the cattle sheds. Therefore sugarcane-based feed based turns out to be much cheaper,” Mr Mohite said.

Feed producers buy the whole cane along with the top green leaves.

They chop and partially crush the cane and then it is sold as cattle feed.

Excess sugarcane

Mr Ajit Chowgule, Acting Managing Director of Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Federation, said that due to good rainfall the State is having excess sugarcane.

Selling cane to the feed producers helps farmers liquidate their excess stock. But such requirement is not in large quantities, he said.

> rahulw@thehindu.co.in

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