Maharashtra cane farmers, millers oppose centre's move to impose stock limit on mills to tame sugar prices

PUNE: Swabhimani Shetkari Paksh, part of the Maharashtra government has demanded that the state should not implement the decision of the central government to impose stock limit on sugar millers.

Food minister Ram Villas Paswan announced imposition of stock limit on sugar mills allowing them to keep only 37% stock by end September end and 27% stock by end October.

"Imposition of stock limit will lead to fall in sugar prices. If prices fall, we will take to the streets, " said Raju Shetty, leader of Swabhimani in a release, warning that sugar can go the onion way if government implements this decision.

The party, having base among the cane farmers of Kolhapur region said that the Co-operative Sugar mills sold sugar last year at Rs 20/kg to Rs 22/kg by bearing losses. They have a stock of about 45 lakh tonnes as against only about 18 lakh tonnes held by Uttar Pradesh mills as the co-operatives waited for the prices to increase.

The organisation has alleged that the stockists will take benefit if sugar prices fall and stock huge quantities.