UP sugarcane farmers stage protests in New Delhi - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Finding themselves trapped in Central government's Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) and the Uttar Pradesh State government's State Advised Price (SAP) mechanism, Sugarcane farmers from UP staged a protest in the capital on Monday. Agitated farmers of the state, which produces half of country's sugarcane, demanded fair prices for sugarcane crop besides abolishment of FRP policy. The protesting farmers said they were unhappy with the Central Government's stipulated price of sugarcane. Central government has announced a price of Rupees 129.85 per quintal for sugarcane during the 2009-10 crushing season under FRP system. The Uttar Pradesh government had announced increase of rupees 25 per quintal in the sugarcane SAP for the 2009-10 over last year, raising it to rupees 165 while the farmers wanted rupees 280 per quintal. "The rate of sugar is Rs 35 per kg, which was Rs 17 last year. So accordingly, the rate of sugarcane should be Rs 280 per quintal," said Anant Alang, State President, Bharatiya Kisan Union. According to a recent ordinance, if a State government fixes SAP higher than FRP, it will have to pay the difference. Last year, the SAP was rupees 140. Uttar Pradesh is among the biggest sugarcane growing states of India. This year, the worst monsoon in 37 years has ravaged cane fields, creating a shortage for the second consecutive year.