-The Times of India LUCKNOW: A day after sugarcane farmer Satyapal Singh killed himself in Bastauli village of Lakhimpur Kheri, around 200 villagers stormed into the compound of Balrampur Sugar Mill's Buleria unit, protesting against the non-payment of cane arrears. The farmers, who said they intended to cremate Singh's body at the gates of the sugar mill, also vandalised the factory compound, looted the canteen and beat up the mill's chief security...

-The Indian Express Riot-hit Muzaffarnagar may now be looking at a crisis in its sugar economy. With private mills in the state refusing to start crushing until the Uttar Pradesh government clarifies cane prices, harvesting of crop that should have begun by now has not yet started. A key cane-growing district, Muzaffarnagar is reported to have the highest agricultural GDP in UP. With recent incidents again bringing the district to a boil,...

-The Business Standard Panic selling to 'kolhu' (jaggery) units at Rs 160-250 a quintal in western parts of state Lucknow: With uncertainty looming large over sugarcane crushing in Uttar Pradesh (UP), farmers have resorted to selling the cash crop to kolhu (jaggery) units at Rs 160-250 a quintal in western parts of the state. Farmers in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Baghpat, Meerut and Bijnor have been queuing at kolhus, which make cash payment. There are...

-The Hindu CM criticises move to remove levy obligation on sugar mills Chennai: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has strongly opposed the Centre's decision to remove the levy obligation on sugar mills, contending that it will impact on the public distribution system in the State. Under the levy obligation, as part of the regulation of the sugar sector, every sugar mill mandatorily surrenders 10 per cent of its production to the Central government at a...

-Live Mint CCEA clears recommendations on sugar sector made by Rangarajan panel; subsidy burden to rise Pushing ahead with long-pending reforms of the sugar industry, the cabinet on Thursday approved the dismantling of rules requiring sugar mills to sell the sweetener at below-market prices through the public distribution system (PDS) and abolished curbs on open market sale. The cabinet committee on economic affairs cleared the recommendations made by a panel headed by C....