Sugar mill owners to begin early crushing amid ED probe fears: Farmers' leader

Farmers' leader and former MP Raju Shetti alleged on Wednesday that sugar mill owners are attempting to start crushing operations early due to pressure from the ruling government and fear of ED and CBI probes. Shetti accused mill owners of being desperate to begin operations to escape regulatory inquiries and keep the government satisfied, despite concerns about market impacts.

Shetti objected to the early crushing timeline, noting that the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for the 2026-27 season has been set at ₹365 per quintal at a basic recovery rate of 10.25%. He referenced the Centre's advice for mills to begin crushing from October 15, which is expected to raise October sugar production from the usual 3-4 lakh MT to over 10 lakh MT, improving availability during the festive season. Shetti warned that crushing immature cane with only eight per cent recovery would reduce both recovery and weight, causing farmers heavy losses per acre.

Shetti warned mill owners against starting operations before November, demanding the sugar MSP be hiked to ₹50, ethanol price to ₹70, and sugarcane MSP to ₹5,000. He threatened a kata bandh (weighbridge shutdown) agitation if any mills opened prematurely, arguing that recovery rates are better in November, December and January.