Karnataka Chief Minister Urges Central Government to Address Sugarcane Farmers Demands

New Delhi, October 30 (Daily Kiran) : Karnataka’s Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has reached out to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, urging the central government to intervene on five critical demands raised by sugarcane farmers amidst ongoing protests in the state.

In a letter dated October 30, 2026, Shivakumar referenced a meeting held on October 14 at the Agriculture Building, which included state officials such as Cooperation Minister Laxman Savadi, Agriculture Minister Narendra Swamy, and Sugar Minister Rudrappa Lamani. The discussions focused on issues related to sugarcane pricing, which fall under the jurisdiction of the central government as per the Sugar Control Order of 1966 and the Sugar Control Order of 2025.

The farmers’ demands are as follows: First, they are calling for sugarcane prices to be determined based on the Swaminathan Commission’s C2+50% formula. Currently, farmers are seeking ₹5,500 per ton, a significant increase from the existing ₹3,650 per ton for a recovery rate of 10.25%.

Second, they request the restoration of the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) base recovery to 9.5%. The increase from 8.5% to 10.25% has negatively impacted farmers in lower recovery areas. The state had previously recommended a price of ₹4,440 per ton at the 9.5% recovery rate on January 16, 2026.

Third, an increase in the minimum selling price of sugar is sought. This price has remained stagnant at ₹31 per kilogram since February 14, 2019, while the state had proposed a rate of ₹41.50 per kilogram on August 9, 2024.

Fourth, Karnataka demands a fair allocation of ethanol for sugar-based distilleries. The state received only 117 crore liters for the 2025-26 ethanol supply, despite having the capacity for 225 crore liters. The state had recommended ethanol prices of ₹73, ₹67, and ₹61 per liter.

Lastly, the farmers are pushing for amendments to the Dr. Rangarajan revenue-sharing formula to ensure that income from ethanol is shared with them.

Shivakumar emphasized that the state has taken numerous steps to restore farmers’ trust, including monthly inspections of mills by agricultural scientists in the presence of farmer leaders. All mills have been urged to obtain NABL accreditation, and the average recovery rate has increased from 10.50% in 2024-25 to 11.09% in 2025-26.

To enhance transparency in weighing, digital load cells have been installed in all 81 mills, with inspections conducted every 15 days. Additionally, free APMC weighing scales are available in 170 taluks, and a reward of ₹5 lakh is offered for proven cases of weighing discrepancies.

Shivakumar warned that adopting the State Advisory Price (SAP) model based on Tamil Nadu’s pattern would impose an annual burden of ₹4,090 crore on Karnataka, which is not a viable option given the current challenges in FRP, MSP, and ethanol policies. As of now, 99.85% of sugarcane payments for 2025-26 have been made, with mills offering ₹500-600 above the FRP. The state has also contributed ₹290 crore for an additional ₹100.

He urged that the minimum support price for sugar be revised for the current season, and that the ethanol directive from October 22, 2026, be reviewed after the February 2027 crop estimates. This would help end the farmers’ protests and allow for the commencement of sugarcane processing.