Kolhapur: Tensions escalated across Kolhapur district on Tuesday as sugarcane farmers intensified their protests following an inconclusive meeting with sugar mill operators convened by District Collector Amol Yedge. The agitation, which began over a dispute on sugarcane prices, has now expanded to include efforts to halt harvesting and transportation of cane to mills across the region, reports The Times of India.
Attention is now turning to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s scheduled visit to Kolhapur city on Wednesday. Farmers’ leader Raju Shetti has warned of disrupting the chief minister’s programme to draw attention to the issue, demanding an immediate government response to farmers’ grievances.
Collector Yedge has assured that a follow-up meeting with Kolhapur Guardian Minister Prakash Abitkar will be held on Thursday to address the impasse.
Meanwhile, several incidents of unrest were reported on Tuesday as farmers stopped harvesting operations and forcefully closed local offices of sugar mills in multiple areas. Although the sugarcane crushing season officially began on November 1, many mills have yet to start operations, reportedly fearing violence amid the growing unrest.
Local police have advised members of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and other farmer organisations not to disrupt the chief minister’s visit or other VIP events in Kolhapur.
Speaking on the issue, Shetti said that under the law, sugar mills are required to share a portion of their profits with farmers in addition to paying the fair and remunerative price (FRP). He alleged that many mills have hidden their revenue details for 2024–25 and still owe ₹200 per tonne to farmers from last season.
He further accused mills of manipulating costs, stating that while the real expenses for harvesting and transport range between ₹700 and ₹800 per tonne, mills claim inflated costs of ₹1,000 to ₹1,100 per tonne to reduce farmers’ payouts.
Demonstrations were reported from various parts of the district. In Asurle Porle, Panhala tehsil, farmers shut down the local office of a private sugar mill. In Chandgad tehsil, supporters of Shetti staged a road blockade at Patane Phata, demanding fair payment for their sugarcane.
