Haryana farmers unhappy over revision of sugarcane prices

Rohtak, Dec 16 (ANI): The farmers and the mill owners in Haryana have expressed their unhappiness over the state government's revised State Advised Prices (SAP) for sugarcanes.

Haryana government had recently announced that the rates of SAP would increase by eleven rupees.

With the revised SAP prices, the mill owners would now have to purchase the early variety of sugarcane at Rs 138 per quintal, mid maturing at Rs 128 per quintal and late maturing sugarcanes at Rs 126 this harvesting season.

Though the state had a bumper production this year, the price of sugar has not declined because of increase in diesel prices which resulted in the rise of transportation cost.

Managing director of Rohtak based sugar mill, Beer Singh said that although the state had received a good harvest this year, the consumers would get little relief from the soaring sugar prices.

"The price of sugarcane is decided by two factors demand and supply. When the demand is more than the supply then the prices naturally soar up. Vice versa when the production is more than the demand then the price goes down. We are hoping that the consumer will get sugar at a reasonable price," said Singh.

A farmer leader, Preet Singh, said that the farmers were sad as the revised SAP rates were not in accordance with the soaring inflation and they demanded that the government should fix the price of selling sugarcane per quintal to rupees 400.

"The rate of the sugar is not according to the inflation. The government has increased the rate by eleven rupees and the farmers are not happy with it. The farmers who had sown sugarcanes this season are very depressed. The farmers are not happy with the rates. Due to inflation the price of diesel went up and soon the price of urea will also go up so we wanted the rates to be atleast 400 rupees per quintal," said Preet Singh.

Haryana's revised SAP price is still higher than its neighbouring state Punjab.

India is the world's leading consumer of sugar and also second largest producer of sugar. (ANI)