Tuesday, February 16, 2010

pm unhappy with states playing with sugarcane prices


17-2-2010

PM unhappy with States not 
giving more to Sugarcane growers

15 AIADMK MPs
METPRIME MINISTER
TO INCREASE SUGARCANE PRICE
TO RS 2500

By R Rajagopalan

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh assured 
15 AIADMK MPs on Wednesday that he would examine
the request to increase the sugarcane prices to Rs 2500

PM told the delegation of AIADMK MPs  when they called on him to present a
memorandum at 7 Race Course Road in Delhi. Centre has been conveying
to states to enhance the sugarcane prices. "Let me examine your representation"
said PM to the delegation.

MPs of AIADMK on tuesday met the Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and 
raised the same issue of Sugarcane.

AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa in a letter to Prime Minister 
demanded that the Tamil Nadu government announce a minimum of 
Rs2,500 per tonne as the procurement price for sugarcane.

In her letter she stated that "State government should immediately 
fix Rs2,500 per tonne of sugarcane as procurement price 
against the announced rate of Rs1,437,"

Claiming that the procurement price for sugarcane in other 
states was much higher than Tamil Nadu, she said, "In 
2005-06 sugar production in the state was 21.38 lakh tons
 while in 2008-09 production came down to 16.16 lakh tons. 
This figure shows the situation of sugarcane farmers in the state."

Recalling her party's objection to the Centre directing state 
governments not to fix the advisory price, she said it was the 
state government's duty to fix the advisory price to ensure 
continuous cultivation of sugarcane in Tamil Nadu.

"Otherwise, there will not be any cultivation of sugar in the region 
and the state will be in a situation to import huge amount of sugar,
 which will also result in increase in sugar price," she said.

Stating that during her tenure, the procurement price was fixed at 
Rs1,014 per tonne when the sugar price was Rs1,250 per quintal. 
"Currently when it touched Rs4,000 per quintal, the procurement
 price is only Rs1,437."

ends

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