With less than a month remaining for sugarcane crushing to begin in the new season, it’s time for the annual ritual of confrontation between farmers and private millers in Uttar Pradesh on the issue of price to be paid to cane growers. As every year, both the stakeholders hold diametrically opposite views on what should be the “right price” that the farmer should get for his produce. At a meeting of the cane price fixation committee under the chairmanship of Uttar Pradesh chief secretary, the farmers demanded Rs 375-400/quintal while the millers categorically stated that they are in no condition to pay anything beyond last year’s State Advised Price (SAP) of Rs 305 per quintal.