Chhattisgarh CM writes to Ram Vilas Paswan, requests redressal of sugarcane farmers' problems

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 28 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has written to Union Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Minister Ram Vilas Paswan to draw attention towards the problems of sugarcane farmers in the state.
Baghel urged the Union Minister to issue a lump sum quota of 50,000 metric tons for the sale of sugar and to keep it free from the monthly quota system under the current circumstances, read a statement.
He stated that due to fixed quota for sale of sugar, the sugar produced by cooperative sugar factories of the state could not be sold. "Due to the quota system, sugar stock of previous season in the factories of the state has also not been sold," Baghel said.
"On one side, sugar stock is continuously increasing in the current season, as the crushing process has already started. On the other side, due to the unfavourable financial condition created because of quota system, payment of the sugarcane producing farmers is getting delayed," the Chief Minister added.
Baghel further stated that he wants to draw the Centre's attention towards the problem of the sugarcane producing farmers in the state, which has worsened due to the COVID-19 situation.
"The Centre has been releasing monthly quota for sale of sugar from June 2018, and sugar factories are allowed to sell sugar as per the quota allocated. A number of letters have been written to the Centre earlier as well, regarding problems of sugarcane-producing farmers, but a positive response is still awaited," the statement said.
In his letter, Baghel has written that four sugar factories of the state are functioning in the cooperative sector, and in the current crushing season 2019-20, 7 lakh 44 thousand 309 metric tons of sugarcane worth Rs 195 crore have been sold to factories by 35,000 farmers. "But due to adverse financial conditions, sugarcane farmers are not getting paid," he said.
However, in view of the interests of farmers, procurement and crushing of sugarcane is being done even in these odd circumstances, the statement said.
Baghel also stated that there are about 58 lakh families living below the poverty line in the state, and sugar produced by the cooperative sugar factories are being made available to the poor families under the Chhattisgarh government's public distribution system.
"But as the sales quota issued by the Centre to sugar factories in the state is very low, farmers are not getting paid against procurement of sugarcane. Sugar is not available for the public distribution system," the Chief Minister said.
Similarly, sugarcane producers should be allowed to sell sugar produced by sugar factories as per their demand. It should be considered separate from the quota so that the price of sugar supplied to the farmers can be adjusted from the amount of sugarcane payable by them, he further said. (ANI)