Sugarcane cultivators attached to Arignar Anna Cooperative Sugar Mill, Kurunkulam in Thanjavur district on Tuesday staged a demonstration in support of their demands.The demonstrators, led by Tamil Nadu Sugarcane Cultivators Association president P. Ramasamy, raised slogans demanding ₹4,500 per tonne for sugarcane and ₹3,500 per quintal for paddy. They also urged the Tamil Nadu government to declare incentive for sugarcane and distribute it before October this year.Exhorting the Union and State governments to stop Karnataka from going ahead with its Mekedatu dam project, they demanded that the Upper Riparian State release water in Cauvery river as per the Cauvery Tribunal Final Award.Meanwhile, participating in the Revenue Divisional-level monthly agriculture grievance meeting, farmers urged the Tamil Nadu government to declare the delta districts as drought-hit area and disburse compensation.They also demanded that the loans taken by them from nationalised banks be waived by the Centre since agriculture operations were badly hit due to non-release of water in Cauvery river by the Karnataka government. Published - July 28, 2026 06:54 pm IST