Crippled with financial distress, cane growers committing suicide: Pawar writes to Modi

Sugarcane growers in the country are committing suicide due to "financial desperation", NCP supremo and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has pointed out in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying immediate steps must be taken to prevent any "mass-scale revolt" by farmers.

Highlighting in his letter a tremendous "unrest and depression" among small and marginal cane growers, the senior leader also suggested a slew of measures to provide relief to such farmers.

This letter comes in the backdrop of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre facing heat from various opposition parties over growing farm distress across the country. The agrarian crisis issue assumes even more significance after the BJP's recent defeat in assembly polls in three Hindi heartland states, and it is believed that the saffron party will make all efforts to claw back the support of millions of farmers ahead of the general elections.

"I am constrained to once again write to you on the plight of millions of sugarcane farmers across the country," Pawar said in the letter seen by PTI.

In view of record sugar output and rock bottom prices, he said: "Sugar mills are unable to release cane amount in time and in full. This has put tremendous amount of unrest and depression with the cane growing small and marginal farmers throughout the country. This financial desperation is leading them to commit suicide."
These apart, Pawar also suggested that "claims of export undertaken in the past and claims of buffer stock need to be cleared on priority. This will improve the cash liquidity and help clearing cane arrears."