Belgavi: Sugarcane farmers from Belagavi, Vijayapur, and Bagalkot districts have announced a protest at Gurlapur Cross in Mudalagi taluk on October 30, demanding that the Karnataka government fix the sugarcane price at ₹3,500 per tonne, excluding harvesting and transportation costs. They want the State Advisory Price (SAP) to match Maharashtra’s rates, where mills also cover harvest and transport expenses, reports Deccan Herald.
Belagavi district, which has 28 sugar factories, is preparing for the crushing season starting in November. Farmers, however, insist that factories announce prices similar to Maharashtra’s, where mills bear transportation costs even for long distances. Several farmer leaders questioned why factories in Karnataka could not do the same.
A recent meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan at the S Nijalingappa Sugar Institute sought to reach an agreement between farmer groups and factory representatives. While factories offered ₹3,050 per tonne, farmers rejected the proposal, maintaining their demand for ₹3,500.
Rashtriya Raitha Sangha leader Prakash Nayak alleged that a strong factory lobby was influencing the government and delaying the announcement of a fair price. He stressed that factories should bear the cost of harvesting and transport and called for strict checks to ensure fair weighing practices at mills.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene president Chonappa Pujari said that during a recent meeting with the Sugar Commissioner in Bengaluru, farmer groups secured an order preventing factories from starting the crushing season before November 20.
“The government earns significant revenue through taxes on sugar and its by-products,” Pujari said, adding that “each tonne of sugarcane brings in nearly ₹5,000 in taxes. So, citing free electricity to farmers as a reason for lower cane prices is unjustified.” He pointed out that sugar factories in Belagavi district alone crush around 1.5 crore tonnes of cane every season.
Pujari said thousands of farmers from the three districts will join Thursday’s protest. “We will insist that the minister visit the protest site and assure us of our price demand. Protecting the interests of sugarcane growers is non-negotiable,” he said.
