UP farmers block road and rail transport to protest against poor sugarcane prices - 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 Muzaffarnagar district blocked road and rail transport on Monday. Caught in the crossfire between the centre's Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) and the Uttar Pradesh government's state advisory price (SAP) mechanism, distressed and defiant farmers demonstrated by blocking two important transport systems in India . They said that they had given the government an ultimatum to heed their demands. "Passengers are facing difficulty just today. But our family and we are facing difficulties since several days," said Tiras Pal Malik, member of Muzaffarnagar district village council. Even though facing grave difficulty, the stranded passengers also requested the government to look into demands of farmers. "I feel that the government should consider the demands of the farmers," said Subhash Kakkar, a passenger. On October 23, the Uttar Pradesh government had announced increase of rupees 25 per quintal in the sugarcane State Advised Price (SAP) for the 2009-10 over last year, raising it to Rs. 165 while the farmers had demanded a price of rupees 280 per quintal of cane.