BJP MP Varun Gandhi (File Photo | PTI)
BJP MP Varun Gandhi (File Photo | PTI)

Farmers experience bitter taste of a sweet crop

In Maharashtra, some farmers have alleged that a mill in Kolhapur fixed its scales due to which farmers were losing about 1.5 tonnes for every 21 tonnes weighed

BJP leader Varun Gandhi's complaint against two sugar mill officials over underweighting sugarcane has again brought to light the exploitation small farmers face every crushing season.

The Member of Parliament sought the suspension of the chief cane officer and the cane accounts officer of Puranpur Cooperative sugar mill in Uttar Pradesh. Gandhi, who represents Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit constituency in Lok Sabha, was addressing the grievances of cane growers from Puranpur tehsil circle in his letter to the Pilibhit district magistrate.

The letter was written following a representation from the district president of one faction of the farmers' organisation, the Bharatiya Kisan Union. The union leader Manjit Singh alleged that the said two officers made cane procurement centre heads adjust weighbridges so that the weight of the crop was reduced by five to six per cent.

In another incident, according to a report, the license of a weighing clerk at Assa village of Meerut district in Uttar Pradesh was cancelled following allegations of underweighting. The weighing machine was apparently reflecting just about five per cent of the actual amount of sugarcane being brought.

In Maharashtra, some farmers have alleged that a mill in Kolhapur fixed its scales due to which farmers were losing about 1.5 tonnes for every 21 tonnes weighed.

Statistics quoted by a farmer leader of the state were startling. According to Raju Shetti of the farmers' union Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, some 132-lakh tonne sugarcane is lost every year in the state due to such fraud. He claimed that this amount of cane could have produced sugar worth almost Rs 4,500 crores. Some calculations later, Shetti surmised that the government thus suffers a loss of Rs 225 crores in GST every year.

In the other sugar-growing state of Karnataka, officials have raided several sugar mills following similar complaints. Here, the president of Sugarcane Cultivators Association Kurbur Shanthakumar Kabbu claimed that growers suffer losses amounting to over Rs 2,000 crores every year annually due to under weighting.

Farmers are not only facing problems with under-weighing but prices as well. As is the case with Minimum Support Price (MSP) for certain crops, the Centre announces Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane. Some states offer State Advised Price (SAP), which is more than FRP to assure returns to growers. The price depends on the quality of the produce and the yield of its juice.

For example, in Uttar Pradesh, the state government offers an SAP of Rs 350 per quintal for the best variety of cane. It is Rs 45 over FRP for sugar season 2022-23 (October-September).

The decision on fixing SAP rests on the state which mostly depends on the political situation. In time of state elections, the price has been witnessed to be revised upwards.

However, farmers in Maharashtra and Karnataka are compensated according to FRP only. But such states sometimes offer prices over FRP. Yet, sugarcane growers in most states allege that their payments are pending over years. Even when compensated, payments come in parts. Protests and demonstrations continue in several parts of sugarcane-growing states for payments.

In regard to farmers' complaints over underweighting, no official version was available from the Indian Sugar Mills Association, but some office bearers desiring anonymity dismissed such accusations. Regarding payments they cite the thin profit margins and rising recurring costs in running sugar mills. The margins are better in producing ethanol than sugar.

Between October 2021 and September 2022, more than 5,000 Lakh Metric Tons (LMT) of sugarcane was produced in the country. Of this, about 3,574 LMT of sugarcane was crushed by sugar mills to produce about 394 LMT of sugar (Sucrose).

Out of this, 35 LMT sugar was diverted to ethanol production and 359 LMT sugar was produced by the sugar mills. Incidentally, with this, India has emerged as the world's largest producer and consumer of sugar and the second largest exporter of sugar.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, this season recorded about 55.73 lakh hectare area coverage under sugarcane. This was 51,000 hectares over the corresponding period last year. This came at a time when Kharif crops like paddy were affected due to erratic monsoon over the last two years.

Among cane-growing states, Maharashtra recorded a higher coverage area (1.20 lakh hectares) as did Karnataka (64,000 hectares), among others. It decreased in 10 states including Andhra Pradesh (37,000 hectares) and Uttar Pradesh (35,000 hectares).

The sugarcane crushing season generally starts in October-November and continues till mid-April. However, in the 2021-22 season, the process continued well into May due to record production of sugarcane.

This season there is an apprehension that low sugarcane yield and increased capacity of mills for crushing may force an early end to the process. In fact, the overall sugar production in the country may turn out to be lower than expected.

Amid all the statistics and data, allegations and counter allegations, farmers continue to get crushed under the bitter weight of a sweet crop.

(Jayanta Bhattacharya is an independendent journalist. These are the writer's views.)

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