Karnataka Sugarcane Farmers Set Deadline, Threaten Protest if Demands Are Ignored

Bengaluru, November 4 (Daily Kiran) : Farmers in Karnataka’s Belagavi district have set a new deadline for the government to declare a favorable price for sugarcane. They warned that if their demands are not met, they will escalate their “Jail Bharo” movement and initiate a large protest.

This ultimatum follows two unsuccessful meetings on Tuesday between Satish Jarkiholi, the Minister of Public Works and the district’s in-charge minister, and both sugar mill owners and farmers aimed at breaking the deadlock.

In light of the rising discontent, Jarkiholi is scheduled to hold another round of discussions with sugar mill owners on Wednesday. This meeting has become crucial, as farmer leaders have insisted they will not withdraw their movement until a satisfactory price is announced.

Reports indicate that sugar mill owners are willing to pay ₹3,500 per ton, but farmers have outright rejected this offer. They are demanding ₹4,500 per ton from the mills, plus an additional ₹1,000 per ton from the state government, totaling ₹5,500 per ton.

Farmer leader Choonappa Pujari stressed the futility of holding repeated meetings without reaching a concrete decision. He stated that farmers will not accept the ₹3,500 per ton proposal and called for Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to announce a ₹1,000 per ton subsidy from the state government.

Pujari warned that if the government continues to overlook farmers’ demands, it will face serious consequences. He also cautioned that unresolved issues could lead to a significant protest during the upcoming winter session of the Karnataka Assembly.

Protests have also erupted in Mysuru and Mandya districts. In Mysuru, farmers attempted to enter the Deputy Commissioner’s office, while in Mandya, sugarcane farmers joined Kannada activists in a demonstration outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office, chanting against both state and central governments.

The agitation among sugarcane farmers has intensified over the past few weeks, with farmers organizing marches, blocking highways, and staging protests across the state. Previously, they had blocked the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway for over 30 hours, demanding better prices for their produce.

Another meeting held on October 26 at Suvarna Vidhan Soudha in Belagavi also failed to resolve the issue. During that discussion, the government had urged sugar mills to offer farmers an additional ₹250 per ton, but many mills reportedly did not implement this proposal.