CH NEWS, HAVERI
The Karnataka government will hold discussions on fixing a fair and profitable price for sugarcane growers, Sugar and Textiles Minister Rudrappa Lamani said.
Speaking at a meeting at the District Collector’s Office, he said the government wants to address farmers’ concerns while ensuring fairness to all sides.
Farmers at the meeting demanded Rs. 5,500 per tonne for sugarcane. They said some factories had offered lower prices last year because of poor recovery rates. Although recovery has improved this year, growers complained that sugarcane prices have not increased accordingly. They also sought transparency in the testing process used to calculate recovery rates.
Farmers demanded that growers should be allowed to verify recovery testing and urged the government to establish a dedicated laboratory for such tests. They also pointed out differences between recovery-based price calculations in North and South Karnataka. The farmers called for uniform standards across the State and asked sugar factories to begin operations early.
Responding to the concerns, Minister Lamani said payments pending from the previous year, factory dues and additional payments would be reviewed. He said the farmers’ demands would be placed before the government and discussed with the Chief Minister and Cabinet. He added that the State would examine the issue within the framework of existing Central government guidelines.
The meeting also reviewed records on sugarcane crushing, recovery rates and prices at factories during 2024-25 and 2025-26. Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Mahantesh, Superintendent of Police Yashoda Vantagodi, Food Department Deputy Director D.J. Manjunath, farmer leaders, growers and officials attended. The discussions offered farmers hope that their concerns over fair prices and transparent recovery testing will receive attention at the government level.