Meerut: Sugarcane farmers carry out ‘funeral procession’

Mills in UP have in the current 2016-17 sugar season (October-September) till February 21 bought cane worth
Rs 17,569.05 crore from farmers. (Representational Image)

Farmers in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut city carried out a “funeral procession” Sunday for sugarcane, demanding the government raise the MSP of the crop from Rs 315 per quintal to Rs 500.

Led by Samajwadi Party leader Atul Pradhan, the sugarcane farmers from over a dozen villages here also demanded the police take back cases registered against them for carrying out a protest march on National Highway-58 on November 26.

The police had registered cases against Pradhan and over two dozen farmers for demonstrating the protest.

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The farmers then raised slogans and marched in the “funeral procession” carrying sugarcane.

“We demand that cases registered against the farmers be taken back and a minimum support price of Rs 500 per quintal be assured,” Pradhan told reporters here.