CM Shivakumar to hold talks with mill owners, protesting sugarcane farmers today

Belagavi: Whether sugarcane farmers in Karnataka will get justice remains to be seen as Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar arrived in Belagavi to hold a series of meetings with sugar mill owners and farmers amid protests over sugarcane prices on Monday.

CM Shivakumar will meet sugar factory owners at 11 a.m. and hold a separate meeting with representatives of sugarcane farmers at 3.30 p.m. The meetings will be held at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi.

Meanwhile, farmers have launched protests by blocking a state highway in Belagavi, demanding a fair price for their sugarcane and other demands.

Speaking to the media in Kittur in Belagavi, Shivakumar said the survival of Karnataka's farmers was his priority and that he had come to Belagavi to discuss the issue with both farmers and sugar mill owners.

“I will not talk about what governments in other states are offering their sugarcane farmers. First, our farmers in Karnataka must survive. I will discuss this issue. That is why I have come here, rather than holding a meeting in Bengaluru,” he said.

"I will speak to sugar mills and farmers. I must also listen to their views. Earlier, we gave farmers an additional amount of Rs 300 per quintal, and the previous Siddaramaiah government provided Rs 50. We have also asked mill owners to contribute. There is a problem here. I have discussed this issue with other states as well. I will discuss it with everyone and decide on the way forward,” he added.

CM Shivakumar said he will have to speak to owners first since they are the ones who will give money to farmers.

The farmers are primarily demanding the fixing of a Rs 1,000 subsidy for each tonne of sugarcane. Secondly, they are urging the fixing of a price of Rs 5,500 per tonne of sugarcane. They are also demanding to reserve a sum of Rs 500 crore.

The outcome of Monday's discussions is expected to be crucial in determining whether the ongoing protests will be resolved and whether the farmers' demand for a remunerative price for sugarcane will be addressed.

Sugarcane farmers in North Karnataka -- led by organisations like the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene -- have staged widespread protests and highway blockades, including on the Pune-Bengaluru and Bengaluru-Mysuru highways, demanding higher prices and policy changes for the 2026-27 crushing season.

Farmers are demanding a total sugarcane price of Rs 5,500 per tonne, an additional State Advised Price (SAP) of Rs 1,000 per tonne from the Karnataka government, and a higher Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar.

The Central government fixed the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) at Rs 365 per quintal for 2026-27 (up from Rs 355), which farmers argue is insufficient to cover rising fertiliser, labour, and transport costs.

While some farmer groups temporarily paused specific agitations, farmer leaders have warned of a potential Karnataka Bandh on October 27 if concrete decisions are not reached, alongside a broader deadline set for November 26 for the Union government to respond to MSP and committee demands.

Karnataka BJP has urged the state government to step in and address acute grower distress amid the ongoing drought and cultivation debt.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]