HUBBALLI: Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi has urged sugarcane farmers to refrain from protests and road blockades, assuring them that the Union government will work with state governments to address their concerns and take appropriate measures.
In a release issued by the Minister’s office here, Joshi said the Centre had, for the first time, invited sugarcane farmers to the national capital for detailed discussions and listened to their grievances. He described the meeting as constructive and said a joint committee would be formed to study the problems and recommend long-term solutions.
“The government is committed to the welfare of farmers. There is no need for protests or road blockades, as the Centre is ready to take positive steps to resolve their issues,” the minister reiterated, appealing to farmers not to resort to agitation.
He said the concerns of sugarcane farmers could not be resolved within a day or two or through the efforts of a single ministry. The minister said a coordinated approach involving multiple Union ministries and state governments would be necessary.
Joshi said confidence that the government would announce positive developments for sugarcane farmers soon.
Joint committee to resolve the issue
Joshi said the meeting, chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, lasted three to four hours and was attended by senior Central government officials, ministers from state governments and representatives of farmers’ organisations.
The participants discussed the grievances of sugarcane growers in detail and decided to constitute a joint committee comprising farmers, agricultural scientists and representatives of the Central and state governments.
The committee would examine the issues faced by sugarcane farmers and recommend measures to address them. Joshi said the Centre was approaching the matter with an open mind and was committed to finding lasting solutions.
Rejecting claims that the meeting with farmer representatives from Maharashtra and Karnataka had failed, the minister said the discussions had been constructive and productive.
The food minister said farmer leader Raju Shetti had also agreed to the proposal to constitute a joint committee to examine the problems of sugarcane growers and work towards permanent solutions.
He added the presidents and office-bearers of three or four farmers’ organisations who attended the meeting had offered suggestions, which were taken into consideration.
The meeting discussed several key issues raised by sugarcane farmers, including concerns over the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), the demand for a Minimum Selling Price (MSP), discrepancies in weighment, the nine per cent wastage deduction imposed by sugar mills after harvesting, and the need for separate rates for commercial purposes.