Andhra Pradesh

Support price for sugarcane fixed at Rs. 1,800 per tonne

VIZIANAGARAM: Minister for Panchayat Raj Botcha Satyanarayana has announced Rs. 1,800 per tonne as support price for sugarcane for the ensuing crushing season, if only farmers supplied at least 70,000 tonnes of raw material to Sri Vijayarama Gajapathi Cooperative Sugars Limited (Bhimasingi).

The company has entered into an agreement with farmers for supplying 96,000 tonnes of sugarcane this season.

Speaking at ‘Rytu Mahajan Sabha’ on the factory premises in Jami mandal on Thursday evening, the Minister announced the support price following representation from farmers. He appealed to farmers not to supply sugarcane to jaggery crushers, as it would have a telling effect on the viability of the factory.

In the last season crushing done was 68,286 tonnes and the recovery rate was 9.87 per cent. The factory earned Rs. 230 lakhs as profit. The MSP paid then was Rs. 1,400 per tonne, he recalled and said now the government had fixed Rs. 1,413 per tonne. However, in the interest of farmers the MSP had been put at Rs. 1,800 per tonne for the ensuing crushing season.

He also agreed to supply one tonne of seed per acre on subsidy. That apart, he said works under NREGP would be suspended after holding discussions with the officials concerned during the crushing period (January, February and March). This would help farmers to engage labour for crop cutting and transport. He said Rs. 6 crores was kept ready for settlement of farmers’ bills.

The Minister said Rs. 50 per tonne deducted last year from farmers for expansion of factory would be suspended this season.

B. Appal Naidu and B. Appala Narasaiah, MLAs, B. Chandrasekhar, ZP Chairperson, S. Dilli Rao, RDO and special officer of the factory, and others were present.

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