Sugarcane farmers threaten fresh stir over payment

SATARA: Claiming that the state government has not kept its word to decide the amount to be paid by sugar factories as the first installment of sugarcane price, a faction of the Shetkari Sanghatna has said that it would undertake an agitation at the chief minister's home town in Karad on October 27.
The organisation also maintained that it would not allow any sugar factory in the district to start sugarcane crushing before the first installment of minimum Rs 2,200 per tonne is announced.
The Sanghatna has demanded first installment of Rs 2,200 per tonne for sugarcane and a final price of 3,300 per tonne. It said there have been couple of rounds of meetings with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, but no solution has been reached.
In a letter to district collector, Sanghatna chairman Raghunath Patil and its Satara unit chairman Shankar Godse have warned the government about their plans for protest. District collector Ramswami has organised a meeting of farmer leaders and sugar factory management on Tuesday to discuss the issue and find a solution.
On Sunday, around 300 people participated in a rally, organised to spread awareness about farmers' organisation and their demands as the issue of variation in agriculture produce prices is close to common man.
A few weeks ago, activists had attacked vehicles carrying vegetables, milk and other agriculture produce to attract attention of the state government.