BENGALURU
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have welcomed the central government’s decision to increase the sugar price, calling it a long-awaited step that will help both farmers and factory owners.
Speaking at Vidhana Soudha, the Chief Minister said sugar rates had remained unchanged for many years. He noted that the existing price was ₹31 per kg. “We had requested the Centre to raise it to ₹41. Now they have decided on ₹40. Let us see how this helps the sector,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar also shared his support for the new price. He explained that the Centre decides the rates of sugar and molasses and added that the issue had become urgent. According to him, sugar factory owners had repeatedly expressed frustration, saying the price had not been raised for ten years. The state had therefore appealed to the Prime Minister to bring relief to the industry.
Shivakumar said the goal was to ensure fairness for both farmers and factory owners. “Farmers must be able to survive, and factories must also function. If farmers support factories and factories support farmers, the industry will run well. We placed pressure on the Centre because they are the ones who make these decisions,” he said.
The decision is expected to ease financial pressure on sugarcane farmers, many of whom have been demanding better returns for years. It may also help factories, which have claimed that the previous rate made operations difficult. State leaders hope the new price will bring some stability to the sector.
More reactions from political leaders and industry groups are expected in the coming days as the impact of the revised pricing becomes clearer.
