Mysore/Mysuru: Maintaining that the FRP (Fair and Remunerative Price) announced by the Government was unscientific as it does not correspond with the current production costs, farmers under the banner of Karnataka Sugarcane Growers Association staged a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office here this morning demanding higher FRP.

Alleging that sugar factories were cheating farmers in respect of weighment and sugar yield after the State Government announced SAP (State Advisory Price) over three years ago, the farmers wanted the Government to hike the FRP and also to revise the SAP in keeping with rising inputs and labour costs. Accusing the Sugar Minister of failing to keep his promise of revising the SAP, the protestors maintained that they are being rendered injustice due to the inordinate delay in the announcement of a new FRP and SAP.

The farmers warned of intensifying their protest if the Government fails to come to the rescue of sugarcane growers, by forcing sugar factories to clear their pending  dues and to stop cheating farmers through flawed recordings of weight and sugar yield.

The protestors had an altercation with the Police over the spot of protest. While the farmers, who held fully grown sugarcane stems, wanted to protest close to the steps of the DC Office under shade, the Police prevented them from doing so. Ultimately, the farmers staged protest on the road nearby for sometime and later moved on to the permitted spot near the DC Office. The farmers later withdrew the protest after Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Manjunath Swamy and other officials assured of addressing their demands in a fortnight.

Association President Kurubur Shantakumar, Office-bearer Attahalli Devaraj and others were present.