BJP govt ignorant about UP agriculture, farmers’ woes, says Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav said the wrong schedule of cane crushing was leading to delay in wheat cultivation.

Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh was ignorant about agriculture and farmers’ issues.

Samajwadi party presidenti Akhilesh Yadav addresses a press conference in Lucknow (HT File Photo)

He said the wrong schedule of cane crushing was leading to delay in wheat cultivation.

“November 27, the date given by the state government to sugar mills to start cane crushing, is enough to prove that this government is totally ignorant about farming. Agriculture experts have advised November 20 as the date for starting wheat cultivation. How will farmers sow wheat when they still have sugarcane in their fields awaiting the start of cane crushing by mills? This will lead to losses for farmers,” Akhilesh said.

He said the state had 119 sugar mills and crushing had not started well.

“The department’s officers are hiding lapses by showing figures and statistics. Contrary to this, the SP government had raised cane support price by ₹40 at one go. Cane farmers are holding protests in Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Terai region and even in eastern UP districts. Farmers are neither able to extract input costs nor are they getting their dues paid by the government,” he added.