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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