Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced procurement price of ₹3,300 per tonne, for sugarcane yielding 11.25% recovery, adding that he is ready to lead a delegation to New Delhi to urge the Centre to revise the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar and resolve other related issues, amid ongoing protests by farmers.
₹3,500 per tonne for sugarcane, in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka on Friday. (PTI)” title=”Farmers participate in a protest march demanding a fair price of ₹3,500 per tonne for sugarcane, in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka on Friday. (PTI)” />The farmers’ protest demanding a fixed sugarcane price of ₹3,500 per tonne at Gurlapur Cross in Mudalagi taluk of Belagavi district entered its ninth day on Friday and spread across Belagavi, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, and Haveri districts.
Chairing a meeting at Vidhana Soudha with sugar factory owners and farmer leaders, Siddaramaiah said the problem stems largely from Central policies governing sugar and ethanol pricing.
During the meeting, Siddaramaiah announced a financial relief measure for cane growers. “For 11.25% recovery, sugar factories must pay ₹3,250 per tonne. The government has decided to add ₹50 more per tonne. It will apply across the state,” he said.
“The government is committed to solving the problems of sugarcane farmers. We have already written to the Prime Minister seeking an increase in sugar MSP and a resolution to farmers’ issues. If he gives us time, we are ready to lead a delegation to Delhi tomorrow itself. There is no politics in this. Everyone should support decisions taken in the interest of farmers,” Siddaramaiah said.
He reiterated that the Centre alone decides on crucial issues such as MSP for sugar, Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for cane, ethanol allocation, and sugar export limits.
“Fixing FRP in a way that protects farmers’ interests is the responsibility of the Central government. It was the Centre that announced the FRP for cane on May 6, 2025, which includes harvesting and transport costs. We had already urged the Centre to raise the sugar MSP, but it has not yet acted,” he said.
Siddaramaiah added that the FRP set by the Centre is not scientifically determined and has hurt both farmers and mills in the South. “The FRP fixed by the Centre is unscientific. Sugar factories are showing lower recovery rates. To prevent this, the government will open laboratories in front of every factory,” he said. Farmer leaders also pointed out that some factories have pending dues from previous years, to which Siddaramaiah said, “We will take action to ensure the dues are cleared.”
He assured farmer representatives that all grievances related to cheating in weight, manipulation of recovery rates, and other irregularities in sugar mills would be addressed. “All complaints by sugarcane growers against factories, including weight manipulation and recovery rate issues, will be resolved,” he said.
Factory owners also raised their concerns about the state’s proposed power tax on electricity generated and sold by sugar factories. They requested a review of the proposal to impose a 60-paise-per-unit tax on power sales. The chief minister said their demand will be considered. “Factory owners have requested a review of the proposed 60-paise per unit tax on power sold by sugar factories, and it will be re-examined,” he said.
Farmer leaders reiterated their concerns over unscientific FRP calculations, alleging that the Centre had shown the production cost as ₹4,000 less than in previous years. “What kind of calculation is this?” they asked. They also urged the government to establish labs near factories to ensure transparency in recovery assessment and to enforce prompt payment of dues.
Siddaramaiah said a separate meeting will soon be held to discuss and resolve the concerns of sugar factory owners and cane growers. “We will hold another round of discussions to find practical solutions for the problems faced by factories and farmers,” he said.
He once again questioned the tendency to hold the state accountable for matters that are under the Centre’s control. “If we are ready to resolve issues within our jurisdiction, how can the state government be blamed for those that must be addressed by the Centre?” he asked.
The chief minister’s meeting came a day after he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging immediate intervention in the matter. In his letter, Siddaramaiah noted that the core of the issue lies in Central policy levers — the FRP formula, stagnant sugar MSP, export limits, and inadequate ethanol procurement — all of which have weakened the financial position of sugarcane growers in Karnataka.
“We are ready to do everything within the state’s scope, but the Centre must act responsibly to protect the interests of farmers,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that Karnataka will continue to push for a fair and scientific revision of prices for sugarcane and ethanol.
Union minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy launched a sharp attack on the chief minister, accusing him of “failing to act decisively” and attempting to “shift blame on the Centre.” He alleged that Siddaramaiah’s delay in addressing the issue allowed the protest to escalate.
“The chief minister has experience as finance minister and has presented 14 budgets. With that background, why did he not take timely decisions when farmers were protesting for over a week?” Kumaraswamy said.
He criticised Siddaramaiah for writing to the Prime Minister instead of resolving the issue at the state level. “Which state government has ever sought the PM’s intervention in a matter like this? Only Siddaramaiah gets the credit for it,” the Union minister said.
Accusing the Congress government of indifference towards farmers, Kumaraswamy claimed that the chief minister and some ministers were under pressure from sugar factory owners. “Almost all public representatives from Belagavi own sugar mills. Instead of protecting farmers, this government seems more interested in protecting factory owners,” he said.
