Uttar Pradesh farmers burn sugarcane to protest against unfair pricing - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Unhappy with the central government's stipulated pricing of sugarcane, farmers in Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh burnt their yield as a symbolic protest. Caught in the crossfire between the centre's Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) and the Uttar Pradesh State government's advised price (SAP) mechanism, distressed and defiant farmers demonstrated by a symbolic burning of the sugarcane. Farmers also said importing raw sugar curtail the bargaining power they have while they persuade mills to buy sugar cane at a higher price. They said that they would not agree to a price less than rupees 300 per quintal. "We are protesting against the central stipulate FRP. We are assembled here with a resolve that none of us shall sell the yield to the mills unless the reasonable price 300 rupees per quintal is agreed upon," said Om Prakash Yadav, head of village council. Other protestors said when price of sugar is sky-rocketing, they should also get a good price for their produce. "At a time when rates of sugar are sky-high, and sugar is supposed to be as good as gold, Given the state of affairs, the rate stipulated by the government i.e. 129.84 rupees per quintal is grossly unjust," said Arvind Kumar Singh, Chairman, Sugarcane Association. India, the world's top consumer of the sweetener, bought about five million tonnes of sugar, mostly raws in 2008/09 after exporting a similar quantity in the previous year, as farmers switched to other crops that paid better.