Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana to hold sugarcane price awareness rally across Sangli district today

SANGLI: The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana will take out a awareness rally in Sangli district on Sunday, the 18th, to build awareness among farmers on the issue of sugarcane prices. Led by the organisation's leader Raju Shetti, the rally will pass through the areas of various sugar factories in the district.

The rally will start at 10 am on Sunday from the Ashta bus station square. The route will be: Ashta, Ankalkhop, Amanapur, Burung, Kundal, Balwadi, Ramapur, Wangi, Hingangaon, Kadepur, Mohitale, Shirasgaon, Yede Phata, Shalgaon, Vita, Shivani gaon, Kadegaon, Sonhira sugar factory, Devdabe, Bagni, Chinchani, Sonsal, Shiroli Station and Krishna sugar factory. The final halt of the rally will be Rethare Nale, where a meeting has been arranged.

The farmers' organisation has taken an aggressive stand on the sugarcane price question. The crushing season at sugar factories is about to begin, and preparations for the agitation are under way against this backdrop. Through the rally, sugarcane growers will be brought together and awareness will be spread among them about the demand for a sugarcane price.

The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana has appealed to farmers of the district and its own workers to reach the Ashta bus station square at 10 am on Sunday and join the rally.

While farmers' organisations have turned aggressive over the sugarcane price, an agitation by sugar mill workers and cane-cutting labourers is also gathering pace. The two agitations are likely to affect the sugar industry. All eyes are now on whether this year's cane crushing season will begin on time, whether the functioning of the factories will be disrupted, and when the workers' demands will be resolved.