Latur: Sugar factory owners are exploiting farmers by manipulating recovery and refusing to pay FRP in one installment. Even cane cutters and transporters are demanding money from farmers before starting work. Farmers must unite against this exploitation, said farmers' leader Raju Shetti.
He strongly criticized sugar factory owners for allegedly cheating farmers through recovery cuts and delayed FRP payments.
A sugarcane conference organized by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) was held at Pangaon village in Renapur tehsil on Friday. The conference was inaugurated by Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana president and former MP Raju Shetti. MNS leader Dilip Dhotre and farmer Pandurangrao Awhad, director of Natural Sugar, were present as chief guests.
During the event, on behalf of Dilip Dhotre, a cheque of Rs 11,000 was handed over to a farmer who lost his buffalo due to lightning. Seeds and fertilizers were also distributed to farmers affected by natural disasters.
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna leader Raju Shetti asserted that sugar factories in Marathwada must pay a minimum price of Rs 3,500 per tonne for sugarcane.
"If factories refuse to pay this rate, farmers should collectively decide not to supply cane to them,”he declared.
Speaking on the occasion, MNS leader Dilip Dhotre urged farmers to stand firm against the sugar factories just as their counterparts in western Maharashtra do, and to ensure they receive the full FRP.
Pandurang Awhad guided farmers on how to achieve 100 tonnes of sugarcane yield per acre.
Conference organizer MNS leader Santosh Nagargoje warned the Pannageshwar sugar factory that if pending payments for cane, transport, or employees were not cleared and shareholders’ issues not resolved, farmers would not allow the factory to operate this season.
