Sugarcane growers and traders are facing a crisis as cane worth Rs 20 crore is lying stagnant at the harvest festival market due to the truckers strike.
Sugarcane growers and traders are facing a 'bitter' crisis as cane worth Rs 20 crore is lying stagnant at the pongal (harvest festival) market and other places in the district due to the indefinite nationwide truckers strike, with no signs of the stocks being lifted.
J Bose, a trader said 500 lorries of sugarcane sent to Mumbai and Delhi between January 5 and Thursday had been stopped at Namakkal and expressed doubts whether the vehicles would reach the cities before Sankaranthi.
He said traders pay an advance to farmers for cultivating sugarcane and the full amount for the crop before it is cut. "There are 135 traders both local and from other states, who are involved in this business," he said.
Sugarcane cultivated in the district is sent to Delhi, Mumbai, Bhavanagar, Surat, Ahemedabad and Balidhanana.
Bose opined that even if the strike was withdrawn on Thursday, sugarcane for Gujarat and other states would not reach there in time, causing financial hardships to traders and farmers.
There was no way sugarcane bundles could be collected and brought to the market here, resulting in bundles just lying on the roadside, he said.
The Pongal sugarcane market, one of the biggest in South india, wore a deserted look on Thursday.
Bahadur, a trader from Gujarat, said North Indian traders who had come here to make purchases were left wondering what to do as farmers were pressing them to cut the sugarcane on time.
A Delhi-based trade Gopal Singh, who had paid a heavy advance to farmers, said they would be able to sell sugarcane only till 'Sankaranthi' and would not be able to use vans as an alternative mode of transport since they did not have permits.
He suggested that the government intervene and make alternate transport arrangements. They could permit mini vans to carry sugarcane, as it was a highly perishable commodity.
Singh said the idea of transporting sugarcane by train was not feasible, as freight charges are double that of road and traders would incur losses. Besides, there was the problem of taking sugarcane from railway stations to other places.
"If we do not buy, then farmers will only incur the loss. The cut sugarcane will start drying in another two or three days. The government should take steps to provide compensation for farmers."
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