Cabinet’s Bold Move: Skyrocketing Sugarcane FRP Amid Protests

In a recent proclamation, the government unveiled an augmentation of the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane by Rs 25, reaching a new pinnacle at Rs 340 per quintal for the upcoming 2024-25 season, set to commence in October. FRP serves as the baseline remuneration that sugar mills are obligated to disburse to cultivators of sugarcane.

The decisive elevation in sugarcane’s FRP was sanctioned during the convocation of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This Rs 25 augmentation per quintal stands as the most substantial under the aegis of the Modi administration, strategically timed preceding the impending general elections. Noteworthy is the geographical predominance of sugarcane cultivation in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka.

In the aftermath of the union cabinet gathering, Anurag Thakur, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, took the podium to articulate the significance of this historic valuation of sugarcane. Surpassing the current season’s FRP by approximately 8%, this revised FRP is slated to be operational from the inaugural day of October 1, 2024.

Thakur emphasized India’s existing status as the global pacesetter in remunerating sugarcane, asserting a towering 107% surpassing of the A2+FL cost of sugarcane. He underscored the new FRP as a guarantor of prosperity for sugarcane farmers, reinforcing the Modi government’s commitment to doubling the income of agriculturists.

The computation of FRP is grounded in recommendations furnished by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), following extensive consultations with state governments and various stakeholders in the agrarian landscape.