Farmers, Phagwara mill management at loggerheads over cane variety

The farmers and management of Golden Sandhar Sugar Mill, Phagwara, had a face-off over sugarcane variety on Sunday.

It’s alleged that the farmers brought sugarcane (95 variety) for crushing, despite having been issued slips for a different variety.

The mill management, which strictly prohibited the crushing of 95-variety sugarcane, refused to process the produce. This led to the protest by the farmers, causing the mill to halt operations for eight hours.

Amreek Singh Butter, unit incharge, Golden Sandhar Sugar Mill, said the 95 variety sugarcane had been banned at the mill. “We instructed the farmers to follow specifications. Allowing such practices will lead to significant losses for the mill,” said Butter.

In the evening, a meeting between the farm unions and mill management resolved the deadlock.

Satnam Singh Sahni, general secretary of the Kisan Union (Doaba), appealed to the farmers to avoid bringing the 95 variety sugarcane, emphasising the importance of adhering to guidelines to prevent further disruptions.

The shutdown caused discontent among several farmers, who expressed concern over the financial losses incurred due to the interruption. The mill operations resumed after the agreement, with management cautioning farmers against any future violations to ensure smooth crushing of the produce.