Sugarcane Growers Demand Rs 5,500 Per Tonne, Shivakumar Urges Patience

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday appealed to sugarcane growers to remain patient over their pricing demands, saying discussions were underway with the Union government and leaders in Maharashtra to resolve the issue.

Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar said the concerns of sugarcane farmers extended beyond Karnataka and required coordinated efforts. He added that the state government was in talks with the Centre and his ministers had convened a meeting to discuss the matter.

“Sugarcane growers must survive, and sugar factories must survive. This is our aim,” he said, noting that inadequate rainfall had also affected crop yields this year. The chief minister said neither sugar nor sugarcane prices had increased over the past decade. He added that the state government had previously announced financial assistance for sugarcane growers and would continue to extend support.

Shivakumar urged protesting farmers not to take the law into their own hands, stressing that their demands should be resolved through dialogue.

Meanwhile, sugarcane growers from north Karnataka are undertaking a padayatra towards Union Minister Pralhad Joshi’s residence in Hubballi, following a two-day blockade of the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway near Belagavi.

The protesters decided to take their agitation to the Union minister’s doorstep after the Centre failed to provide a clear assurance on their demands, despite setting up a committee to examine the issues. The farmers are demanding Rs 5,500 per tonne of sugarcane, an increase in the minimum selling price of sugar to Rs 60 per kg, and a revision of ethanol prices.

The agitation has intensified pressure on the state and Union governments to address the concerns of growers amid disputes over remunerative prices and the viability of sugar factories.

On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Shivakumar said the voting rights of all citizens must be protected, irrespective of their political affiliations. “Voting is a constitutional right granted to the people, and I will work to protect it,” he said.