Topic: Sugarcane farmers

UP is home to 35 lakh sugarcane farming families, and the agrarian crisis is set to play a key role in next year’s state assembly elections.

Union Cabinet has approved the highest-ever FRP for sugarcane farmers at Rs 290/quintal, a hike of Rs 5 from last year. New rates will come into effect from October.

Union minister Piyush Goyal said the FRP has been increased for a basic recovery rate of 10% and there won't be any deduction where recovery is below 9.5%.

A high-level committee was formed In January to examine NITI Aayog's recommendation that, officials say, could solve the 'huge problem of dues'.

The swarms have hit various districts of western UP and the Bundelkhand region in the last 48 hours, prompting alerts in several places like Agra, Kasganj, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot and Jhansi.

In January, more than 25,000 hectares of wheat, rapeseed, cumin & potatoes in Gujarat were hit by locusts & a third of crops damaged in 75% of affected areas.

The UP govt threw back to the barter system of yore to settle farmer dues totalling Rs 12,000 crore. The idea doesn’t have many buyers.

New Delhi/London: India may roil the global sugar market again as prospects for next year’s cane crop have brightened due to brimming reservoirs. Bountiful monsoon rains this year have led to above average water levels in reservoirs, which will in turn boost the amount of sugar cane that’s planted, according to industry and Indian government officials. Sugar output in the country is expected to bounce back in 2020-21 from an estimated three-year low this year, they said. “The only thing that can stop cane plantings in India is the hand of God,” said Rahil Shaikh, managing director of trading company Meir Commodities India Pvt. “Other than that, cane will be the king and will be ruling the country for a long time.” Bumper crops from India, which vies with Brazil as the world’s top producer, have been blamed for causing a global sugar glut, leading to two years of more than 20%...

Farmers in Maharashtra are selling cane in the cattle-feed market for as much as Rs 3,500 a ton compared with a govt-set price of about Rs 2,750.

In order to put an end to India's sugar mess, cane prices have to be linked to those of sugar and its by-products.