Lucknow: Hours after the Union Cabinet approved an increase in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugar, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced his government’s decision to increase sugar. State Advisory Price (SAP) for the crop before the upcoming crushing season.
The state government had left the SAP unchanged at Rs 315 (for the common variety) for three consecutive years from 2018-19. However, the SAP was increased by Rs 10 per quintal soon after the UP government assumed power in 2017.
The move is expected to bring relief to troubled farmers, especially those in western Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the assembly elections next year. The CM also announced that the cane arrears since 2010 would be paid before the next crushing season. “We will ensure timely payment and increase the price of sugarcane,” Yogi said.
After meeting a delegation of farmers, including members of the BJP Kisan Morcha, Yogi said, “The decision will be conveyed to all stakeholders so that farmers are not misled.”
on Wednesday, Center The increase in FRP from Rs 285 to Rs 290 per quintal has fueled speculation that state governments will increase the SAP in the sugarcane crushing season from October. “The state government has managed to clear more than 85% of cane arrears to farmers for the 2029-21 crushing season. A record Rs 1.45 lakh crore was paid to farmers in the last four years,” a senior sugarcane department official told TOI. The sugarcane payment was made despite the challenges posed by the pandemic that has stalled economic and industrial activities, he said. Experts say the demand for sugar in the commercial sector fell dramatically and sugar mills faced contracted payment capacity.
The Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said the FRP hike has raised expectations of an increase in the minimum selling price.SME) of sugar too. “In the current and in the next season, it will be necessary to help the sugar mills to adjust the higher cane price payment to the farmers,” ISMA said.
The MSP of sugar has been stable for more than 30 months, even though the FRP of sugarcane was increased by Rs 10 per quintal in 2020-21, the association said. It is further noted that group of ministershandjob NITI Aayog, Committee of Secretaries And several state governments had last year demanded an increase in the MSP of sugar between March and July 2020. “We are hopeful that the government will take note of these recommendations and increase the MSP to Rs 35 per kg. That MSP will be sufficient to cover the increase in cane FRP and the cost of sugar production,” the association said.
Interestingly, the Centre’s decision to increase the FRP and Yogi Adityanath’s announcement of increasing the sugarcane price comes a day after the Congress ruled. Punjab SAP increased by Rs 50 to Rs 360 per quintal from Rs 310. Opposition parties reacted to Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Choudhary’s demand for increase in SAP in Uttar Pradesh as well.
It also comes before the ‘Mahapanchayat’ scheduled by the Kisan United Front in Muzaffarnagar on 5 September. The front included the Bharatiya Kisan Union, which stood at the forefront of the farmers’ movement against the new agricultural laws. BKU state vice-president Harinam Singh Verma said the issue of sugarcane farmers will be included prominently in the ‘mahapanchayat’ to put pressure on the ruling BJP to take farmer welfare measures.
The state government had left the SAP unchanged at Rs 315 (for the common variety) for three consecutive years from 2018-19. However, the SAP was increased by Rs 10 per quintal soon after the UP government assumed power in 2017.
The move is expected to bring relief to troubled farmers, especially those in western Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the assembly elections next year. The CM also announced that the cane arrears since 2010 would be paid before the next crushing season. “We will ensure timely payment and increase the price of sugarcane,” Yogi said.
After meeting a delegation of farmers, including members of the BJP Kisan Morcha, Yogi said, “The decision will be conveyed to all stakeholders so that farmers are not misled.”
on Wednesday, Center The increase in FRP from Rs 285 to Rs 290 per quintal has fueled speculation that state governments will increase the SAP in the sugarcane crushing season from October. “The state government has managed to clear more than 85% of cane arrears to farmers for the 2029-21 crushing season. A record Rs 1.45 lakh crore was paid to farmers in the last four years,” a senior sugarcane department official told TOI. The sugarcane payment was made despite the challenges posed by the pandemic that has stalled economic and industrial activities, he said. Experts say the demand for sugar in the commercial sector fell dramatically and sugar mills faced contracted payment capacity.
The Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said the FRP hike has raised expectations of an increase in the minimum selling price.SME) of sugar too. “In the current and in the next season, it will be necessary to help the sugar mills to adjust the higher cane price payment to the farmers,” ISMA said.
The MSP of sugar has been stable for more than 30 months, even though the FRP of sugarcane was increased by Rs 10 per quintal in 2020-21, the association said. It is further noted that group of ministershandjob NITI Aayog, Committee of Secretaries And several state governments had last year demanded an increase in the MSP of sugar between March and July 2020. “We are hopeful that the government will take note of these recommendations and increase the MSP to Rs 35 per kg. That MSP will be sufficient to cover the increase in cane FRP and the cost of sugar production,” the association said.
Interestingly, the Centre’s decision to increase the FRP and Yogi Adityanath’s announcement of increasing the sugarcane price comes a day after the Congress ruled. Punjab SAP increased by Rs 50 to Rs 360 per quintal from Rs 310. Opposition parties reacted to Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Choudhary’s demand for increase in SAP in Uttar Pradesh as well.
It also comes before the ‘Mahapanchayat’ scheduled by the Kisan United Front in Muzaffarnagar on 5 September. The front included the Bharatiya Kisan Union, which stood at the forefront of the farmers’ movement against the new agricultural laws. BKU state vice-president Harinam Singh Verma said the issue of sugarcane farmers will be included prominently in the ‘mahapanchayat’ to put pressure on the ruling BJP to take farmer welfare measures.
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