Chikkodi
Sugarcane farmers in Karnataka have demanded that the government fix a minimum scientific price of ₹6,500 per tonne, citing rising cultivation costs and higher sugar prices in the market. Farmer leader Shashikant Guruji warned that farmers would launch a major protest if their demand was not addressed.
Addressing farmers in Chikkodi in Belagavi district on Wednesday, Guruji said the cost of fertilisers, urea, seeds, harvesting and transportation had increased significantly in recent years. Despite the rise in sugar prices, farmers were not receiving a proportionate benefit, he claimed.
He said the existing Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) and other price mechanisms were insufficient to cover the actual cost incurred by sugarcane growers. Considering the economic interests of farming families across Karnataka, the government should ensure a minimum price of ₹6,500 per tonne, he demanded.
Guruji alleged that sugar factories were citing losses as a reason for not offering better prices to farmers. However, he pointed out that 42 applications had reportedly been submitted for setting up new sugar factories in Belagavi district alone. He claimed that factories earned revenue not only from sugar but also from by-products such as ethanol, biogas, pressmud and electricity.
According to Guruji, sugar factories could generate revenue of up to ₹18,000 from a tonne of sugarcane through various products. Despite this, farmers were being forced to stage prolonged protests to secure what they consider a fair share of the returns, he alleged.
He warned that if the government and sugar factories failed to respond to the farmers’ demands, around one lakh farmers would gather outside the residence of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on September 23. Farmers, women and agricultural workers from different parts of Karnataka are expected to participate in the proposed agitation.