Dharmapuri: Farmers in Dharmapuri district say falling sugarcane production and slow operations at the Dharmapuri District Cooperative Sugar Mill in Palacode have become a growing cause for concern, reports The New Indian Express.
About a decade ago, the Palacode cooperative mill had more than 15,000 acres under sugarcane cultivation and crushed around 3.5 to 4 lakh tonnes of cane each season. This year, as the mill is set to begin operations on Friday, only 2,200 acres have been registered for cultivation, and just 52,000 tonnes of sugarcane have reached the mill for crushing. Farmers fear that continued low yields could eventually force the mill to shut down.
A farmer from Palacode, said that the mill had crushed nearly one lakh tonnes of sugarcane two years ago. “Last year, however, it ran for only about 14 days before operations were halted. One of the main problems is the sharp drop in cultivation area. Growing sugarcane no longer gives farmers any real returns,” he said.
He added that most farmers in Dharmapuri are small landholders and find sugarcane cultivation unviable. “It takes nearly 11 months to earn any income from sugarcane. Farmers spend close to Rs 20,000 per acre on fertilisers, labour and irrigation. With such high costs, they prefer crops that are cheaper to grow and mature faster. This shift is affecting the mill badly. If there is no sugarcane, how can the mill survive?” he asked.
Another farmer from Palacode, said low prices were also discouraging cultivation. “We have been demanding a price of Rs 4,000 per tonne for sugarcane. The state government has promised this rate, but even then, farmers see little benefit. There are no special schemes or subsidies for us. For years, we have asked the mill to bear at least part of the labour cost, but nothing has changed,” he said.
A farmer from Karimangalam, pointed to water scarcity as another major issue. “Both Palacode and Karimangalam face severe water shortages. I stopped growing sugarcane four years ago because every summer I had to spend at least Rs 4,000 a month just on irrigation. There is still no proper plan to manage water scarcity. Delays in starting the crushing season also discourage farmers. By the time the mill opens, many canes have flowered and lost weight, reducing income,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, Cane Development Officer K Kathiravan said efforts were being made to increase the cultivation area under the district cooperative mill. “Water shortage remains the biggest challenge. This year, both the southwest and northeast monsoons have brought very little rain. We are working on several measures to encourage more cultivation in the coming year,” he said.
