KOLHAPUR: Millers from Kolhapur district are firm on their stand that they would not start cane crushing till the government assists them to pay fair and renumerative price (FRP) to farmers.The millers have stated that they are struggling to pay FRP to farmers this year. The next meeting of the millers will be organised on November 10 to discuss the situation. All the 22 mills from Kolhapur district have stopped crushing from October 30.A meeting of the representatives of the sugar mills from Kolhapur, including cooperative and private mills, was conducted in city on Saturday during which the decision was taken.“We are firm on our decision to shut mills and not start crushing till government takes steps to provide us financial assistance. The sugar cane business is going through crisis and we are unable to pay FRP to farmers this year. The government should step in and assist us to save the business and help farmers,” said a representative of a sugar mill from KolhapurPrakash Awade, director of national sugar federation, said, “Millers do not have money to pay farmers their dues. It is mandatory for them to pay FRP to farmers and we expect government to assist us. We will conduct a meeting again on November 10. We have to start crushing cane at some point but we will wait at present.”The meeting was attended by MLA Hasan Mushriff, MLA Chandradeep Narke, former MLA P N Patil, Sanjay Mandlik and other representatives of sugar mills from Kolhapur.

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