Factories in Belagavi district asked to ensure that farmers get remunerative prices for their sugarcane

DC Patil warns sugar factories to ensure fair mgmt, pay remunerative prices to farmers in Belagavi. He asked factories to start crushing operations no earlier than Nov 1 & to consider paying more than FRP. He asked officials to monitor weighing & recovery processes & farmers to complain in case of injustice. Govt to provide FRP prices & asked farmers to set up weigh bridges. SP Guled asked officials to inspect weighing machines & take action against factories refusing independently weighed sugarcane.

The district administration officials have given instructions to sugar factories to ensure transparent and fair management of their units. These units are expected to ensure that farmers get remunerative prices and are not cheated.

At a meeting of factory managers and farmers leaders in Belagavi on Saturday, Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil warned the factories of initiating strict legal action if they [factories] do not follow the rules.

The meeting was held at the S. Nijalingappa Sugarcane Research Institute here.

He instructed factories not to start crushing operations before November 1 as that will ensure proper growth of the crop and ensure uniformity in the timetable for crushing operations. He also asked factories to consider paying more than the fair and remunerative price as farmers are suffering from a drought.

“We have received several complaints that factories cheat farmers during weighing and measuring output. Factories should address these issues. Both the tasks should be carried out transparently and scientifically,” the Deputy Commissioner said.

He asked officials to monitor the two processes in each factory by the use of advanced machines. He asked managements to set up electronic or computerised weighing scales and recovery machines in all factories.

Mr. Patil asked farmers to complain to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, in case they suffered injustice at the hands of sugar factories. In case of errors in weighing and recovery calculation, officials from the Department of Weights and Measures will conduct inspection in presence of the complainants.