Sugarcane farmers stage demonstration in New Delhi

Sugarcane farmers from three northern States today staged a demonstration in the national capital demanding reimbursement of dues from sugar mills and remunerations of their produce.

New Delhi, Sept 7 : Sugarcane farmers from three northern States today staged a demonstration in the national capital demanding reimbursement of dues from sugar mills and remunerations of their produce.

Farmers hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand, under the banner of Kisan Jagriti Munch (Farmers Awareness Forum) said the government should ask private and State-run mills to pay their dues to the tune of 26 billion rupees. "The government should declare remuneratory price of the sugarcane as soon as possible, which the sugarcane mills owner are trying to delay deliberately," said Anil Singh, General Secretary of Kisan Jagriti Munch.

The farmers also demanded fixing a remuneratory price for their crops. The new price, they said should include a minimum support price as also a share of profit earned by sugar mills.

India's sugar production is expected to hit a new record in 2007/08 with output forecast to increase to 28.8 million tones, up from the previous record of 27.4 million tones, a year earlier.

The record production has resulted in a glut in the market, lowering prices and swelling up stocks, eroding the profitability of sugar mills.

Sugarcane farmers in Maharashtra and Punjab have also staged protest against the government in last few months demanding reimbursement.

ANI