UP: Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi writes to CM Yogi Adityanath, seeks Rs 400 SAP for sugarcane farmers

LUCKNOW: A few days after tweeting support to protesting farmers, BJP MP from Pilibhit Varun Gandhi has demanded that sugarcane’s State Advisory Price (SAP) for the forthcoming crushing season in UP should be raised to Rs 400 per quintal. The state government has kept the SAP unchanged for the past three years after effecting a hike from Rs 305 to Rs 315 per quintal in 2017.
In a letter (dated September 11) sent to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Gandhi has also demanded that the pending cane arrears for 2020-21 -- around Rs 5,300 crore -- be paid to the farmers as soon as possible. Varun's observation vis-a-vis cane growers comes amid CM Yogi's hardened stance, suggesting strict action against the millers defaulting on payment of cane dues to the farmers.
Yogi had recently said that the SAP for the forthcoming cane crushing season would be increased. While officials in the cane department refused to comment, sources indicated that a hike of between Rs 5 to Rs 10 was expected. Officials, however, said that the state government sought to tread cautiously given the contraction in the paying capacity of the millers despite recovery in the economic activity which got hit by pandemic.
Varun said in the letter that his suggestion was driven by farmers' claim that the cost of cane cultivation has risen sharply. “The SAP for the cane may be kept at a minimum of Rs 400 per quintal," he said, underscoring that the incumbent state government's efforts to pay much more cane dues to farmers in comparison to the previous governments was laudable.
The Pilibhit MP further said that he had come to know that many sharecroppers were unable to supply cane to the millers and were rather forced to sell the crop to 'kolhu' (local crushing units) at a very low price. He added that the farmers should also be provided seeds, fertilizer and pesticides at low cost. Varun's letter comes days after he stood in support of the farmers who had called a 'mahapanchayat' in Muzaffarnagar against the new farm laws.
He said that the wheat farmers of his parliamentary constituency are demanding that their crop be purchased by the government at the stipulated minimum support price (MSP). He said though the present state government raised the purchase of wheat, there were still "many farmers" who were not able to sell their produce at the procurement centre. Varun has demanded the state government to set up procurement centres in adequate numbers for facilitating the farmers seeking to sell their produce to the government.
On September 8, the Centre had hike the MSP for wheat by Rs 40 from Rs 1975 to Rs 2015 per quintal. The Union ministry of consumer affairs, food & public distribution had recently said that the government paid Rs 11,141.28 crore to the farmers as MSP in Uttar Pradesh as the state recorded the highest ever procurement of wheat. It said 58% more wheat was procured in 2021-22 as compared to 2020-21. A record 56.41 lakh MT procurement of wheat has been done during Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2021-22 in Uttar Pradesh as compared to 35.77 LMT wheat procured in RMS 2020-21. Varun, however, maintained that the state government should consider giving a bonus of Rs 200 per quintal to the wheat farmers.
He also demanded that the electricity rates for farmers be reduced. "Farmers are complaining of higher electricity rates in case of tube wells and rural power feeders as a result they are not able to make timely payment," he said in the letter. Varun also said that incidents of damage to crops by stray animals have increased. "It is requested to step up construction of cow shelter homes and take other measures," he said. The BJP MP further suggested that the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi be increased from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 per annum. "For this, the state government can contribute a share of Rs 6,000 per farmer," he said.