Despite the fact that sugarcane growers have ended their week-long strike and sugar mills have resumed crushing operations, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Tikait) has demanded a 25 per quintal bonus on sugarcane.
"The government has abandoned the farmers by announcing a 10% increase in the state advised price (SAP) of sugarcane," said BKU state president Ratan Mann to a gathering of farmers in Panipat.
He demanded that the government immediately announce a bonus of $25 per quintal to help farmers who were suffering as a result of crop pest infestations.
He also accused farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni of betraying the cane growers by calling off the protest after the government announced a 10-percentage-point increase in SAP. He also stated that BKU (Tikait) will continue to push for a bonus.
The FRP is the bare minimum that sugar mills must pay sugarcane farmers. It is set in accordance with the recommendations of the Commission on Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP) and after consultation with state governments and other stakeholders. CCEA then gives its approval.
Furthermore, key sugarcane producing states announce State Advised Prices (SAP), which are generally higher than FRP to compensate for regional differences in crop production costs.
About Bhartiya Kisan Union
Chaudhary Charan Singh founded it from the Punjab Khetibari Union (Punjab Farming Union), which later became its Punjab branch. The union is a member of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee and Via Campesina. The Union's national headquarters are in Sisauli, Uttar Pradesh.
