Congress warns of strike for higher cane price

Noting that Rs 275 per quintal, including the support price offered by the state, was being paid to cane farmers in Tamil Nadu, state Congress president Su Thirunavukkarsar, in a statement, said the recent change effected by the Centre would have no bearing on farmers in the state. Claiming that the normal practice was to consult research institutes of agricultural universities before fixing the prices, Thirunavukkarasar said that it was unacceptable to fix cane price merely based on the suggestions of the Union Statistics Ministry without consulting the research institutions in the state.

Referring to the arrears private and cooperative sugar mills owe to the farmers and the rising fertilizer costs, the TNCC chief condemned the state for not holding tripartite talks with farmers and sugar mills. Claiming that the research wing of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has fixed the production cost of a tonne of sugar cane at Rs 3,500, he asked the Centre to announce the same as procurement price. He threatened to hold agitations if the governments do not come forward to increase the price paid to cane farmers.