The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana has announced an indefinite sugarcane protest and road blockade on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway in Satara and Kolhapur districts on November 3, demanding a first payment of Rs 4,500 per tonne for the current crushing season and immediate access to irrigation water.
The organisation said farmers from Satara district will block the highway near the Urmodi river bridge at Nagthane, while farmers from Kolhapur and Sangli districts will gather at the Kini toll plaza. The action is being planned under the leadership of the organisation’s founder and former Member of Parliament, Raju Shetti.
According to the report published by Sakal – Pune, the farmers’ organisation had given sugar mills an opportunity to reach a settlement on sugarcane prices. It said mill operators had not agreed to announce a first payment of Rs 4,500 per tonne despite rising production costs, leading to growing dissatisfaction among growers.
The planned highway blockade follows road-level actions in Khatav, Karad and Koregaon talukas of Satara district. Farmers have reportedly stopped sugarcane vehicles travelling towards mills in these areas, with activists remaining on the roads for the past two days before the proposed escalation to the national highway.
The protest is also expected to raise demands concerning irrigation water from the Krishna, Urmodi and Tarli projects. The organisation has alleged that water is being withheld for agriculture by citing legal provisions even when the reservoirs have sufficient storage. It is demanding that water be released to farmers without delay.
The proposed locations are important road points connecting western Maharashtra with the Pune-Bengaluru highway corridor. An indefinite blockade could affect long-distance traffic, local movement and the transport of agricultural produce if it proceeds as announced. The report does not provide details of any traffic diversion plan, police deployment or response from the concerned sugar mills and district administrations.
The organisation has appealed to farmers, traders and citizens to participate in the Nagthane action. It said the rural economy and local markets can remain financially stable only if sugarcane growers receive an adequate return for their produce.
The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana has warned that the agitation will continue until sugarcane producers receive what it describes as a fair price. The proposed blockade is scheduled to begin on November 3, subject to developments between the organisation, sugar mills and the administration.
