Strike at Chodavaram mill delays crushing

The ongoing strike by workers has delayed the crushing activity at Chodavaram cooperative sugar factory. The mill had decided to begin the crushing season from November 21.

Mill managing director T Poorna Sivaram Prasad said the contract workers, about 350, were demanding higher wages and 65 days’ bonus. To support their demand, around 300 regular workers have boycotted the duties. “The management is negotiating with the worker union. Once the talks succeed we will start crushing,” he said.

This apart, sugarcane producers are demanding higher prices for their produce. The management paid Rs 1,800 per tonne sugarcane last year, but this year farmers want a minimum of Rs 2,500 citing increase in inputs cost and labour charges.

 

Prasad said they had received 546,000 tonne sugarcane last season. “The company paid the entire amount to farmers. This season too we are expecting 550,000 tonne.”

Owing to the strike, some of the farmers have starting supplying sugarcane to nearby private sugar mills like GMR and Varalakshmi. These mills are paying Rs 1,800 per tonne sugarcane apart from paying for transportation cost.

Chodavaram reported Rs 5.30 crore profit in the last financial year and produced 51,600 tonne sugar.