Centre to Form Joint Panel to Address Sugarcane Growers’ Issues, Says Pralhad Joshi

The Centre will soon constitute a joint committee to examine the concerns of sugarcane growers and recommend long-term solutions, Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Tuesday, describing a meeting with farmers from Karnataka and Maharashtra as successful.

Joshi said the discussions involved Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, senior officials, state government representatives and farmer leaders, who deliberated on the problems faced by sugarcane growers for three to four hours.

He urged farmers not to resort to road blockades or other disruptive protests, saying the Narendra Modi-led government was committed to protecting their interests and resolving their concerns in coordination with state governments, regardless of their political affiliations.

“The issues of sugarcane growers cannot be resolved in a day or two or by one or two ministries alone. They require the coordinated efforts of several ministries and the participation of state governments,” Joshi said, adding that the government would soon have positive news for farmers.

The proposed joint committee will comprise sugarcane growers, agricultural scientists and representatives of the Centre and state governments. It will examine farmers’ grievances and recommend measures aimed at addressing them on a lasting basis.

Rejecting claims that the Delhi meeting had failed, Joshi said the discussions with farmer representatives from Karnataka and Maharashtra had been constructive. He added that farmer leader Raju Shetti had agreed with the proposal to form the committee, while representatives of several farmer organisations had also offered suggestions.

The meeting covered a range of concerns, including the adequacy of the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), demands for a Minimum Support Price (MSP), alleged discrepancies in sugarcane weighing, a nine per cent wastage deduction imposed by sugar mills after harvesting, and separate pricing for commercial purposes.

Joshi said the Centre had urged the Karnataka government to introduce a State Advised Price (SAP) to improve returns for sugarcane growers. He cited Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh as states that have implemented SAP.

The Centre also called on Karnataka to take strict action against sugar mills over concerns involving sugar recovery rates, wastage deductions and weighing discrepancies, he said.

Joshi described the meeting as an important step towards resolving the issues through consultations rather than confrontation.

Pralhad Joshi says the Centre will form a joint committee to address sugarcane growers’ concerns over prices, deductions and weighing.