Ganjam sugarcane growers demand interest rate reduction on crop loan

The sugarcane growers in Orissa's Ganjam district have demanded reduction of the interest rate on the sugarcane crop loan and increase of the sugarcane price.

They wanted the interest on sugarcane crop loan should be reduced from 7 percent at preset to 4 percent, while the price of the cane should be hiked to Rs 1500 per quintal. The Aska Cooperative Sugar Industry Limited (ACSIL) authorities had paid Rs 980 per quintal to the cane growers during the last crushing season.

Ganjam district sugarcane growers association staged demonstration in front of the sugar factory at Aska, about 40 km from here in support of their demands including the price hike and reduction of the interest rate.

"The sugarcane growers in the district could not get remunerative price from the factory even though they keep alive the sugar factory in Aska, the oldest sugar industry in the country in cooperative sector", said former Lok Sabha member and the president of the Ganjam district cane growers association, Dutikrushna Panda.

A memorandum containing their demands was presented to the managing director of the factory, S.Ram Mohan Patra. He assured the association leaders to consider their demand in consultation with the district collector, who is also the president of the managing committee of the factory.

He demanded the factory authorities should enhance the cane price from Rs 980 per quintal to at least Rs 1500 per quintal. “Sugarcane farmers in the district will not supply the sugarcane if the factory authorities did not fulfill their demands", warned the general secretary of the association Samir Pradhan.

Among others, the association demanded for repair of all major roads connecting the factory for smooth transportation of the canes, extension of irrigation facilities, insurance of the sugarcane under National Crop Insurance Policy and start of crushing from the first week of December. "The recovery percentage from the sugarcane is very less when it is crushed late and the farmers sustain loss in the weight", Pradhan said.

He said, the sugarcane growers in the district could not get any benefit from the crop insurance policy as the insurance cover is for Rabi agriculture season and up to the month of March. “We demanded it should be extended up to June as the farmers in Ganjam start sugarcane cultivation from the month of April", the general secretary of the association said.