The Karnataka Government has fixed sugarcane price at Rs 2,000 a tonne supplied to government-run factories for the crop year 2011-12.
A decision to this effect was taken at a high level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Mr D V Sadananda Gowda. The meeting also took decision to fixed final price for cane supplied in 2010-11 at Rs 1,900 a tonne.
Today's meeting took stock of sugarcane grown in southern part of the State and growers from Davangere, Hassan, Mysore, Chamarajnagar, Ramanagara and Shimoga districts took part.
The new tariff is applicable to Shimoga Sugar Mills in Shimoga district, Mysore Sugar Company, Mandya town and Pandavapura Sugar Factory, Pandavapura both located in Mandya district.
To fix tariff for private sugar mills, the Government has take a decision to invite private sugar mill owners in the next 10 days to discuss with them to fix the price for the crop year 2011-12 and along with that the final price for cane supplied during 2010-11 will also be taken.
Mr Kurubur Shantakumar, President of the Karnataka Sugarcane Growers' Association, told Business Line that “the sugar factories had paid Rs 1,850 a tonne of sugarcane supplied during 2010-11 as fixed by the State Government. But we are demanding a sum not less than of Rs 2,500. We are demanding purely based on the input costs.”
“The private sugar mill owners had assured to give Rs 1,900 a tonne for the 2011-12 crop this is not acceptable to us,” Mr Shantakumar.