Farmer body Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) has warned the Maharashtra government against supporting the Centre’s proposal to offer you staggered fair and remunerative cost (FRP) payments to farmers.
The Centre has constituted a higher-level committee to look into a recommendation made by the Niti Aayog to implement a model of staggered payments to sugarcane growers and has asked state governments to submit their recommendations on this problem. Gujarat follows this model for producing cane payments to farmers.
“The Centre has called for suggestions from the state governments. The Centre has already passed three farm laws which are not in the interest of farmers. The state government has also constituted a panel to study this issue. However, the committee does not have any farmer representatives,” Raju Shetty, founder of the SSS, mentioned. Shetty warned that his organisation will be forced to take action and come down on the streets if the Maharashtra government submits recommendations in favor of the suggestions made by the Niti Aayog.
Earlier this month, Maharashtra sugar millers had advocated adopting the Gujarat model for payment against the obtain of sugarcane and to commence the practice of payment in 3 stages throughout the sugar season.
According to the Niti Aayog, if farmers are paid 60% of the sugarcane FRP upfront, it will cover their complete A2+FL (farm labor) price, along with offering a small margin more than the similar. The ‘A2’ price for farmers covers all paid-out charges that are straight incurred by the farmer on seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, hired labor, leased-in land, fuel, irrigation, and so on, whereas A2+FL price contains the A2 price along with the worth of unpaid loved ones labour.
According to the newest arrears report, factories in the state nevertheless owe farmers Rs 2,073.05 crore in FRP dues. Mills have so far paid Rs 19,286.65 crore, amounting to 90.29% of the total FRP payments, to farmers this season. The total FRP payable to farmers is Rs 21,359.69 crore. The sugar commissionerate has taken action against 19 mills for their failure to FRP payments.