Cane growers in Karnataka have urged the state government to intervene between them and mill owners to immediately announce prices for the current and next sugar years. Sugar mills have announced Rs 1,800 per tonne for the year 2010-11, which is 7.6 per cent lower than the previous year.
“The cost of cultivation of sugarcane has gone up over the last couple of years and works out at Rs 2,250 per tonne. Also, the cost of harvest and transportation of cane to the mills has gone up by 50 per cent in the last one year. We are not in a position to supply cane to mills at Rs 1,800 per tonne. If the same trend continues, then we may have to stop growing cane from next year,” Kurubur Shanthakumar, president of Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Association said.
At a meeting convened by the state minister for sugar, S A Ravindranath, here on Wednesday, the growers demanded the government direct the mill owners to pay Rs 2,500 per tonne for the current season. They also demanded Rs 3,000 per tonne of cane for the year 2011-12.