Monday 15 December 2014

Strike in sugar mill leaves farmers high and dry

Farmers demand government’s intervention in the issue

Caught in the cross fire, sugarcane growers dependent on the Arignar Anna Cooperative Sugar Mills at Kurungulam near here are demanding that the State government and the district administration intervene to commence crushing operations in the mill where the employees are striking work.
Sugarcane Growers’ Association members as also those who raise the crop in the mill’s command area in Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts are aghast that they have been forced to suffer as the mill staff have been striking work since last Thursday, with the protest commencing at the start of the current crushing season.
“Already the sugarcane growers have been demanding the State government pay reasonable purchase price for the cane procured from us as the present purchase price is grossly inadequate given the rising input costs. The staff strike has only added to our misery as even in normal circumstances there used to be delay in cutting and transporting our produce and the current strike would aggravate the situation for us,” points out a long time cane grower S. Chandrasekaran of Kurungulam.
“The troubles in raising sugarcane, including rising cost of inputs, shortage of manpower and the dwindling returns have gradually reduced the area under sugar cane in the Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts that have traditionally supplied cane to the mill. Now the workers strike has struck at the roots of our livelihood and the warring parties must take our plight into consideration and take immediate steps to commence crushing operations in right earnest. Else our efforts for almost a year would go waste at our cost,” rues another cane grower T. Kabilan of Vallam.
“In case of delayed harvest, neither of them was a loser but we are the one who get devastated,” said A. Panneerselvam of Gandarvakottai.
“Delay in harvesting cane will lead to loss in recovery which affects our selling price adversely,” he said calling immediate efforts to break the logjam.
The Arignar Anna Sugar Cane Growers Association as also the Arignar Anna Sugar Mill Workers’ Association had been raising their voice through demonstrations in front of the mills every other day but solution to the plight of the cane growers was not in sight yet.

  • The crisis has only worsened the plight of growers as crushing is delayed
  • Delay in harvesting will spell doom for the growers as yield will dwindle


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