or reload the browser
IN a statement issued on February 24, the All India Sugarcane Farmers’ Federation said that the Narendra Modi led union government’s anti-farmer policy was clearly visible in the recent revision of the fair and remunerative price (FRP) for the sugar season 2024-25. On February 21, the union government announced a meagre 8 per cent increase in sugarcane FRP, that is, to Rs 340 from Rs 315 per quintal. The decision was taken by the cabinet committee on economic affairs which met under the chairmanship of prime minister Narendra Modi.
The propaganda machinery of the BJP-RSS has come out with celebratory declarations hailing it as a historic decision benefitting crores of farmers. Leading the propaganda, information and broadcasting minister Anurag Singh Thakur said that the hike “reconfirms fulfillment of Modi ki Guarantee to double farmers’ income”. It is interesting that the meagre increase was announced and hyped at a time when BJP is using brutal state violence to suppress farmers who were marching towards Delhi for MSP.
All India Sugarcane Farmers’ Federation is of the firm opinion that this jumla by Modi will not benefit crores of sugar farmers in any significant way. When compared to the increasing production cost and skyrocketing inflation, this “hike” is absolutely inadequate. For instance, in 2019, for a 50 kg bag of DAP fertiliser, the cost was Rs 1,150 and now it is Rs 1,650. The government is not doing anything to address ever increasing production cost.
The jumla of the Modi regime is crystal clear if we go into the details. The existing FRP (2023-24) was Rs 315/quintal at the recovery rate of 10.25 per cent and 291.975/quintal at recovery rate of 9.5 per cent.
For 2024-25, it is 340/quintal and 315/quintal respectively. However, there will be a premium of Rs 3.32/quintal for every 0.1 per cent increase in recovery over 10.25 per cent and a reduction of Rs 3.32/quintal in FRP for every 0.1 per cent decrease in recovery.
This will impact a large number of farmers and they will not benefit from the hike in the FRP. Instead of “doubling farmers’ income”, it will result in the decrease of the farmers’ income in real terms. While the fascistic propaganda machinery is celebrating the “historical” hike, basic arithmetic would tell us that the union government has increased the price of the sugarcane by a mere Rs 45/ quintal in the last five years.
All India Sugarcane Farmers’ Federation demands that the union government should declare an FRP of Rs 500/quintal at a recovery rate of 9.5 per cent. This should be immediately done to address the severe crisis faced by the primary producers of the sugarcane. The federation also demands that the government should take steps to ensure that sugar mills are releasing arrears on a war footing as per the Sugarcane Control Act. The Modi regime should stop doing jumla and address the long lasting demand of the federation to share the profit of the by-products of the sugar processing industry after crushing of sugarcane, with the farmers. Instead of shedding crocodile tears, Modi should immediately intervene to address burning demands of the sugarcane farmers.
or reload the browser
or reload the browser
