Sugarcane farmers' highway blockade enters second day, threaten to halt milk, vegetables to Pune, Mumbai

Sugarcane farmers in Maharashtra have warned that they may disrupt the supply of milk and vegetables to Pune and Mumbai if the state government does not accept their demands. Their indefinite blockade of the Pune-Bengaluru highway entered its second day on Thursday, leaving heavy vehicles stranded at many points.

The agitation is being led by former MP Raju Shetti and his organisation, the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana. Thousands of farmers are sitting on the highway near the Kini toll plaza in Kolhapur district. They began the blockade on November 3.

The farmers' main demand is a first instalment of at least Rs 4,500 per tonne for cane supplied to factories this crushing season. The highway links western Maharashtra with Karnataka, and the blockade has brought traffic on an important route to a halt. The farmers say that if the dispute is not resolved, the agitation could spread to the supply of essential goods.

The organisation says sugar mills earn not only from sugar but also from ethanol, bagasse, molasses and other by-products. It argues that cane growers should get a fairer share of this income. It has asked why, given such earnings from sugar and its by-products, the mills are unwilling to raise the payment made to farmers.

Besides the Rs 4,500 demand, the organisation wants the minimum selling price of sugar raised from Rs 31 to Rs 50 per kg. It has also sought changes in ethanol procurement prices.

Because of the blockade at Kini, many heavy vehicles are parked on both sides of the protest site. Farmers have also blocked the road near Nagthane in Satara district, affecting traffic in other stretches. Police have put diversions in place at Karad, Peth Naka, Sangli Phata, Top, Wathar, Kagal and Uchgaon Phata. Vehicles heading towards Pune and Kolhapur are being routed through alternative roads and village roads.

Truck drivers say they learnt of the blockade suddenly and that there were not enough alternative routes for heavy vehicles. Some drivers said they ran short of food and drinking water during the long wait. Truck drivers also held a separate protest on Wednesday, after which police had to be called. The drivers alleged that one of them was assaulted.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has appealed to Shetti to end the agitation peacefully. He said talks were on to resolve the matter. Fadnavis said the government had already announced the FRP, or Fair and Remunerative Price, but the farmers want to be paid more than that. He has asked Minister Hasan Mushrif to talk to all the parties concerned. Separately, a meeting of sugar industry representatives and experts is expected at the sugar commissioner's office in Pune.

Consumers in Pune and Mumbai are worried by the warning on milk and vegetables. If the agitation spreads to transport and supply routes, the movement of essential goods could be affected. For now it is only a warning, and no stoppage of supplies across the city has been confirmed. The biggest concern at present is the highway blockade and the fear that it will grow. The crushing season is under way, and farmers, sugar mill owners, transporters and the state administration are all now involved in the dispute.