Raju Shetti, the President of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS), is set to undertake a padyatra, a journey by foot, from October 17 to November 7 in Western Maharashtra. The primary objective of this padyatra is to draw attention to the exploitation of sugarcane farmers by sugar mills.
Over the course of this padyatra, Shetti plans to cover a distance of 522 kilometers, traversing Western Maharashtra from October 17 to November 7.
Speaking about the purpose of the padyatra, Shetti stated, “Our demand is that sugarcane farmers should receive a fair remuneration of Rs 400 per tonne for the sugar harvested in the last season. Sugar mills garnered substantial profits during the previous season, owing to both sugar and ethanol production. However, the sugar mills, under the pretext of low sugar recovery, have been unwilling to share these profits with sugarcane farmers.”
The Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane stood at Rs 3,050 per tonne in 2022-23, and most sugar mills complied with this regulation. However, many sugar mills failed to make an additional payment of Rs 400 per tonne to sugarcane farmers, as stipulated in the second installment.
While some sugar mills in Pune promptly made the additional payment, mills in Sangli and Kolhapur in Western Maharashtra did not go beyond the FRP.
During the padyatra, SSS members organized protests outside sugar mills that did not make the additional payment of Rs 400 per tonne above the FRP to sugarcane farmers.
This 20-day padyatra will witness Shetti walking on foot to bring attention to the issues faced by sugarcane workers. Notably, the sugarcane crushing season for 2023-24 is scheduled to commence on November 1, although certain sugar mills are urging the government to permit early crushing starting from October 15.
The central government has set the FRP for 2023-24 at Rs 3,150 per tonne for sugarcane with a sugar recovery rate of 10.25 percent.
Shetti emphasized, “Our focus will be on all sugar mills that failed to provide the additional Rs 400 per tonne above the FRP to sugarcane cultivators. These sugar mills generate substantial profits, and it is perplexing why they are unwilling to share a small portion of those profits with the sugarcane farmers, who consistently bear the brunt of exploitation.”