Farmers demand immediate start of sugarcane crushing

Mandya, Karnataka, Oct 15 (UNI) Farmers in this district today demanded that crushing of sugarcane be taken up immediately at Mysugar mills here as a huge quantity of their produce had begun drying in the fields.

The Rajya Raitha Sangha organised protest in the sugar town and obstructed vehicular traffic on Bangalore-Mysore state highway.

The Deputy Commissioner held talks with farmers' representatives and promised quick action by convening a meeting of the factory management tomorrow.

Farmers from different villages in the district coming under the Cauvery basin were on a warpath following the factory authorities not heeding their demands. Fall in sugar prices had forced sugar mills in the State to delay crushing of sugarcane.

Glut in sugarcane production had caused heavy losses to the farmers across the State last year, leading to a number of suicides among them, forcing the State Government to announce Rs 25,000 as subsidy for every hectare of unharvested sugarcane.

UNI