Paralakhemundi: Even as sugarcane is a profitable crop and suitable for climatic conditions in Gajapati district, sugarcane farmers here are being forced to resort to distress sale in the absence of adequate marketing support by the district administration.
According to sources, riverside areas like Kasinagar and Goshani in Gajapati district are fertile and there is high yield of the crop in this region. However, sugarcane farmers are often exploited by Andhra Pradesh traders and are compelled to sale at throwaway prices.
After juice is extracted from sugarcane to prepare molasses, the dry pulpy residue called bagasse is used for making paper. As profit goes to the pockets of traders in Andhra Pradesh, it has discouraged sugarcane farmers in Gajapati district, local farmers lamented.
Very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS) ‘Hudhud’ had extensively damaged sugarcane farming in the district and their woes have not ended even after the crop was harvested. They have demanded their inclusion under the crop insurance scheme as well as opening up of sugarcane mandis in the district, to provide them marketing support.
Sugarcane cultivators also demanded that, minimum support price (MSP) of the crop should be announced well in advance so that more farmers will be attracted to taking up of sugarcane farming in the district.
Besides, they have pointed out that Gajapati district administration needs to announce incentives under the Rashtriya Krushi Vikash Yojana (RKVY). Announcement of incentives is essential in the sense that the area under the sugarcane cultivation in the district is gradually decreasing with the farmers switching over to other crops, they said.
