Belagavi: Sugar mills in Belagavi district are yet to clear cane dues worth Rs 1,545 crore, triggering fresh unrest among farmers who are now preparing for a statewide protest.
During the 2025-26 crushing season, mills in the district crushed about 2 crore tonnes of sugarcane, generating total dues of around Rs 8,545 crore. Of this, Rs 6,996 crore has been paid, while Rs 1,545 crore remains outstanding.
With nearly 20 per cent of payments still pending, farmers have warned of intensifying protests if the dues are not cleared soon.
Farmers say that despite repeated follow-ups, mills have failed to release the pending payments. During the previous crushing season, protests had erupted across Karnataka demanding payments as per FRP. At that time, the Siddaramaiah government had announced a subsidy of Rs 50 per tonne, amounting to Rs 300 crore. However, since mills have kept nearly 20 per cent of cane payments pending, the subsidy has also not been disbursed so far, leaving farmers in a tight spot.
Farmers also allege that payments are rarely made on time after supplying sugarcane. They claim that mills delay payments when cane supply is high, sometimes taking over a month, but release dues every 15 days when facing shortages. However, final payments are often delayed regardless of the supply situation.
