Nagpur: The Transport Minister Union Nitin Gadkari has suggested Vidarbha farmers to choose sugar cane cultivation to overcome the eternal problem of loss of plants and dependence on cotton and soybean plants widely cultivated.
He made this while speaking to the farmers in Mandwa Village in the Wardha District on Monday where he reviewed the work of Dham River Rejuvenation and Moti Nullah.
However, agricultural experts, activists, and farmers, disagree with the advice of Gadkari and said that sugar cane plants were not sustainable in Vidarbha due to scarcity of water, especially during the summer.
If the majority of farmers begin to grow sugar cane, it will worsen the low level of groundwater because it requires more water than other plants such as cotton, soybeans, rice and pulses planted traditionally in the region, experts say.
Vidarbha has gotten a reward from reporting a lot of suicide farmers in this country for the past two decades.
Soothing a warning record, experts say that sugar cane cultivation will worsen the agrarian crisis and leave a trail of depressed farmers.
“Cane is a water guzzling plant, which is not suitable for Vidarbha because of many factors.
The growth is hampered in the summer here.
In addition, plants need to be on the edge of 10-15km from sugar plants again transportation costs will be spiral making it not feasible for farmers.
It is precisely the reason why sugar factories failed to survive in this part of the country, “said Agricultural Activist Vijay Jawandhiya.
Gadkari told the farmers that he wanted to replicate the success stories of their colleagues in the western part of Maharashtra, especially Kolhapur, Solapur and Sangli, in Vidarbha.
Quoting many examples of farmers, which he guided to produce more than 75-100 tons of sugar cane in Vidarbha, MP Nagpur said it would bring prosperity to farmers in the region.
“On the way to Mandawa, I was given a farmer official, which has produced more than 100 tons of sugar cane and he produces more than Rs 1 lakh per month.
My dream is to enrich farmers here through rich cash such as sugar cane.
Our factory (Manas group) Has the capacity to destroy more than seven lakh tons of sugar cane, but we only get one lakh ton from Vidarbha, “he said.
Jawandiya said it was unfair to equalize the conditions in the western part of the state and vidarbha, mainly related to inadequate irrigation facilities and climate conditions.
Maharashtra is one of the largest sugar cane producers in India, but many parts of the country suffer from acute water shortages in recent years.
Agricultural experts add that sugar cane farmers are always assisted by the government through a bailout package because many great leaders of Maharashtra Barat have their sugar factory and operate their strong lobby.
“The sugar industry is always protected by politicians in our country.
This is definitely not a commercial plant in Vidarbha and Marathwada.
For this area, cotton, soybeans, pulses are actual cash plants.
The two regions witness continuous climate change that makes sugar cane not suitable for Cultivated.
The peak leaders should not provide misleading advice for poor farmers, who are already in trouble, “said Agricultural Activist Kishore Tiwari, who is also the leader of Sena Shiv.
Rating Jawandhiya and Tiwari, Ganesh Nanote farmers say sugar cane plants have a cycle of about 14 months to give a return.
In this period, they can take three cycles of plants such as cotton, soybeans and rice.
“Vidarbha has faced natural oddities including drought, continuous rain and shedding loads.
In such situations, sugar cane cultivation is a risky proposition.
In addition, it will increase the cost of input farmers in the form of connecting fences or adding walls around the agriculture to protect Plants from animals such as wild boar and nilgai.
Even farm laborers will demand higher allegations to harvest this plant.
Traditional plants such as cotton and rice can give us similar benefits if provided with the right technology and research from the government, “he said.