$85 guaranteed cane price is a gross cane payment – AG

Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the $85 per tonne guaranteed cane price is a gross cane payment and from this amount, there are deductions like lorry transport cost and customs charges while the National Farmers Union and National Federation Party are saying the $85 guaranteed price paid to farmers should not attract any deductions.

Sayed-Khaiyum says there are various master award recognized deductions and all these are deducted from the gross payment.

He says the government is currently paying the cane farmers the difference between the world sugar price and the $85 cane payment and the final payment will have deductions as always done.

Sayed-Khaiyum adds in 2018, the FSC took care of these deductions.

He says people need to understand how deductions are made and not jump and say that government has betrayed the farmers.

The General Secretary of the National Farmers Union, Mahendra Chaudhry says the farmers have been paid $2.79 short per tonne of the guaranteed payment.

Chaudhry says as far as the union is concerned, the cane farmers should get $85 after the deductions.

Leader of the National Federation Party, Professor Biman Prasad says the government has massively betrayed cane growers by reneging on its promise as the Sugar Industry Tribunal has announced a sum of $7.62 with top-up, the final cane payment for 2019 season.

Professor Prasad says this payment brings the final cane price to $82.21 per tonne for the 2019 season, $2.79 less than the guaranteed price of $85 per tonne.

He says the actual final cane payment for the 2019 season should have been $10.41 per tonne of cane to both recoup the 67 cents deduction as well as ensure the payment of the guaranteed price of $85.