ROHTAK, Nov. 14 -- Agitated over the Rs.15-per-quintal hike in the state advised price (SAP) of sugarcane, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) has announced that farmers will not supply sugarcane to sugar mills in Haryana until the state government raises the price to Rs.600 per quintal from the Rs.430 fixed for the 2026-27 crushing season. The farmers also threatened to prevent sugar mills from starting crushing operations and announced an indefinite day-and-night protest at the cane yard of Saraswati Sugar Mills (SSM) in Yamunanagar from November 15. The decision was taken at a kisan panchayat jointly organised by the BKU (Charuni) and the 'Ganna Sangharsh Samiti' at the SSM cane yard on Friday. A large number of sugarcane growers and farmer leaders attended the meeting and expressed strong resentment over what they termed an inadequate increase in the cane price. The announcement comes ahead of the scheduled commencement of crushing operations at SSM on November 17, raising the possibility of disruption at the beginning of the season. The Haryana government has fixed November 1 to June 30, 2027, as the official crushing season for the state's sugar mills. Addressing the gathering, BKU district president Sanju Gundiana said the Rs.15-per-quintal increase did not reflect the rising cost of sugarcane cultivation and fell far short of farmers' expectations. He said expenses on fertilisers, seeds, pesticides, diesel, labour, irrigation and agricultural machinery had been steadily increasing, making farming increasingly expensive. "The government should understand the difficulties being faced by sugarcane growers and announce a remunerative price. The agitation will continue until our demands are met," Gundiana said. He added that the protest would begin with an indefinite sit-in at the SSM cane yard from November 15 and would subsequently be extended to other sugar mills across the state. The Haryana government recently raised the SAP from Rs.415 per quintal in the 2025-26 season to Rs.430 for 2026-27, an increase of Rs.15. It has also announced a further increase of Rs.20, taking the proposed rate to Rs.450 per quintal for the 2027-28 crushing season. Farmers' organisations, however, have rejected the increase and are demanding Rs.600 per quintal for the current season. Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday lent support to the sugarcane farmers' demand for a higher remuneration of Rs.600 per quintal. In a statement, the leader of Opposition said that sugar, which was selling for Rs.45 per kg just a few months ago, is now retailing at Rs.65 to Rs.70 per kg in the open market, an increase of 44%-55%. "Despite this surge in sugar prices, farmers are receiving no benefit. Instead, hoarders and black-marketers are profiting due to the government's flawed policies," he said. He described the 3%, increase in the sugarcane price as a cruel joke on the farmers. Hooda urged the government to increase the sugarcane price in accordance with the farmers' demands. The Congress leader said that cane farmers in Haryana are being forced to take to the streets to press for their demand for a price of Rs.600 per quintal. "Farmers say that the prices announced by the state government are insufficient to cover the increasing costs of cultivation," he said. Hooda blamed the anti-farmer policies of the BJP government, and rising inflation for suffering of the farming community. "The cost of farming has surged due to the rising prices of diesel, fertilizers, seeds, and agricultural equipment," the former CM said....