Kolhapur, Oct. 21 -- Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) national president and former MP Raju Shetty, in a strict warning to sugar factories, stated that they must not begin their crushing operations for the current season until a "fair and acceptable" First Installment Price (first advance) is officially declared for the farmers.
In a press conference held here this evening, Shetty, reaffirming the call to action from the highway blockade, urged farmers to keep their harvested sugarcane in their fields for an additional eight to 10 days rather than sending it to the mills.
He emphasized that stalling the supply is necessary to make the government and factory owners realize the gravity of the farmers' demands.
He said that the state Ch...