TIRUCHY: The sugarcane farmers from Thanjavur staged a protest on Thursday demanding a MSP of Rs 5,000 per tonne.

The sugarcane farmers who converged in front of the Thanjavur Head Post Office, said that they had been demanding the MSP of Rs 5,000 per tonne of sugarcane. The Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam State General Secretary Sami Natarajan who led the protest said, price of fuel and the fertilisers have doubled and so the production cost for sugarcane has been increasing year by year.

While the cutting charges for the sugarcane increased, the MSP of the crop has not been increased. “In order to compensate for the high production cost, the MSP of sugarcane should be fixed at Rs 5,000 per tonne otherwise, the farmers would face severe loss”, Natarajan stressed. They also demanded to initiate steps to release the pending dues by Thiru Arooran Sugar Ltd.

The agitating members raised slogans in support of their demands. Farmers from various associations including Arignar Anna Sugar mills took part in the protest.