As Pongal nears, farmers in Salem urge State government to procure sugarcane directly

Sugarcane farmers urge State government to procure sugarcane directly from them & distribute it in ration shops for Pongal.

Sugarcane farmers in the district have urged the State government to issue an order to procure sugarcane directly from them and distribute it through ration shops for Pongal.

N. Babu Janardhanan, a resident of Koodakal in Poolampatti, said that 210 farmers cultivate sugarcane, including 110 registered farmers in our locality. “Around 20,000 stalks of sugarcane are cultivated in an acre of farmland on average, we spend ₹2.80 lakh per one acre including manure and cutting charges over ten months. Last year, the State government issued an order to procure sugarcane from farmers in the fourth week of December, which enabled them to earn a profit of ₹1 lakh to ₹1.20 lakh. But this year, the government has yet to make any announcement in this regard. We understand that the government is placing priority on bringing normalcy to flood-affected districts. But sugarcane farmers are not in a position to decide whether to send sugarcanes to other states. We are hopeful that the government procures sugarcane from farmers and distributes it through ration shops,” Mr. Janardhanan added.

Urging the government to increase the procurement price, Mr. Babu said that last year’s procurement price of ₹33.65 per stalk gave farmers a profit at ₹24 per stalk, but charges for cutting sugarcane have jumped from ₹2.50 to ₹4 per stalk this year. So a procurement price of ₹35.65 will ensure that farmers do not suffer losses, he said, and added that the government should consider providing two sugarcanes to each ration card holder.

Uzhavar Perunthalaivar Narayanasamy Naidu‘s Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam president, R. Velusamy, requested the State government to announce pongal gift hampers for ration card holders like in the past, and to procure all the products in the hamper including jaggery, from farmers in Tamil Nadu. This will ensure that farmers get a good profit. The government should also avoid procuring jaggery from other states, Mr. Velusamy added.