Amid Farmers’ Protest, Haryana Chief Minister Announces Hike in Sugarcane Prices

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday promised an increase in the price of sugarcane, two days after senior BKU leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni urged farmers to attend the planned protest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 29 and yell anti-BJP remarks.

The state advisory price (SAP) for sugarcane would rise from the current Rs 362 per quintal to Rs 372, according to the Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar’s statement. This will still be less than the amount that the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab is offering for sugarcane which is Rs 380 per quintal, which is the highest in the country.

The farmers in Haryana are asking for a cost increase of sugarcane from Rs 362 to Rs 450 per quintal. Haryana enjoyed the highest SAP over the course of several years but the price hike in Punjab has revoked the farmer’s of Haryana as they protest for price hike of Rs. 450 per quintal. 

All 14 of Haryana's sugar mills have stopped receiving sugarcane as of January 20 thanks to farmers led by Chaduni. They have practically sealed them up by sitting outside the mills.

On Wednesday, they had already proclaimed a protest against the sugar factories on their tractors. The farmers were preparing to stage their protests near sugar mills when the chief minister announced the increase in sugarcane prices in Chandigarh.

The farmers threatened to block all roads in front of sugar mills starting on January 27 for an indeterminate amount of time, according to another announcement made by Chaduni. In a symbolic act of protest, the farmers proclaimed that they will burn sugarcane on the anniversary of the birth of their leader, Sir Chhotu Ram.

The leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni), in reference to Amit Shah's event, had indicated on Monday that they will approach the location of Amit Shah's gathering while donning BJP T-shirts, brandishing BJP banners, and driving BJP vehicles. They'll be removing their shirts in dissent once he begins talking.

The government-owned Haryana State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation (HAFED) administers only one of the 14 sugar mills in Haryana; the other 12 are cooperative mills operated by private entities.