The Allahabad High Court has reserved its judgment on the issue of sugar price fixation by the state government of UP. The petition was filed by the sugar mill association challenging the validity of government's move to fix sugarcane prices unilaterally. It is to be noted that state government has fixed the price of sugar cane as Rs 140 per quintal for session 2008-09 which was rejected by millers.

The state is the second largest produce of sugarcane in the country having large number of cane crushing mills.

Millers would wait for final decision of the court and decided to stop crushing in a hope to get respite from the court. Industry sources said that almost 92 per cent of state sugar mills are not operating and it is prompting farmer agitation which can lead to large scale law and order problem in the state. Meanwhile, a sugarcane farmer at Khatauli in the Muzaffarnagar district died while staging a demonstration at the local sugarcane purchase society.

It is to be learnt that mid November season is a best season for wheat cultivation and delay in cultivation can impact the yield of crop. Farmers are agitating for early crushing according to the prices fixed by UP government to enable them for early planting of wheat.