UP sugarcane farmers threaten to sell produce to HR, U'khand

Sugarcane farmers today threatened to sell their produce to mill owners in neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttarakhand, which they claimed offered better prices, while lawyers boycotted courts and burnt effigies of sugarmill owners in support of the cane growers.

"The mill owners of Uttarakhand have agreed in writing to purchase sugarcane at rupees 220 per quintal. Therefore, we will not sell our produce below this price," Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said here, adding in Haryana the price is around Rs 200 per quintal.

The lawyers of the District Bar Association yesterday boycotted work at local courts and burnt effigies of mill owners.

Demanding reasonable prices for sugarcane growers, the bar criticised the government for working against the interest of the farmers.

The Centre has announced a price of Rs 129.85 per quintal for sugarcane during the 2009-10 crushing season under Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) system, while the Uttar Pradesh State Advisory Price (SAP) has been set between Rs 165 and Rs 170 per quintal.

In case a state government fixes SAP higher than the FRP, it will have to pay the difference. Farmers want Rs.280 per quintal for their produce.