Tikait to sell sugarcane in Uttarakhand if demands not met

Muzaffarnagar: Bhartiya Kisan Union chief Mahendra Singh Tikait today threatened to sell his produce in Uttarakhand if sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh did not give better return for the farmers' produce. Talking to the media here, Tikait said Uttarakhand sugar mills are purchasing sugarcane for Rs220-225 per quintal, which is much more than the State Advised Price (SAP) of Rs170 being offered by the UP government.

Tikait also accused the UP government of working in the interest of mill owners and not for farmers.

The BKU chairman also threatened that the union will mobilise farmers to gather in Lucknow and stage a 'gherao' of UP Assembly if their demands were not met soon.

Crushing work in sugar mills has suffered in the state due to the protests, forcing India to import sugar from Brazil.

Political pressure on sugarcane pricing has forced the Union government to amend the October Ordinance clause which asked state governments to pay the difference of 'fair and remunerative price' and SAP. It is now up to the sugar mills to provide the difference of amount, but a final decision on it is yet to be taken. source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_tikait-to-sell-sugarcane-in-uttarakhand-if-demands-not-met_1318065