Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced Rs 3,300 Per Tonne Sugarcane Price

Belagavi : A wave of celebration swept through Gurlapur Cross in Belagavi district on Friday evening as sugarcane farmers, who had been staging a protest for the past nine days, welcomed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s announcement of Rs 3,300 per tonne as the sugarcane price.

Although the farmers’ demand for Rs 3,500 per tonne was not fully met, they expressed happiness that the government had taken measures to increase the rate. Green shawls filled the air as jubilant farmers raised slogans, distributed sweets, smeared colour on each other, and danced holding sugarcane stalks.

Farmer leaders hailed the disciplined and peaceful nature of the protest at Gurlapur Circle, calling it an example of unity and perseverance. The decision to raise the sugarcane price came after prolonged discussions between the state government and sugar factory representatives. Both sides agreed to contribute Rs 50 each over and above the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) fixed by the Centre, taking the total to Rs 3,300 per tonne. Karnataka has 81 sugar factories, including 11 cooperative units and one government-run factory, with the rest privately owned.

Farmers in Belagavi district had been protesting since October 30, demanding a higher price for sugarcane. Earlier talks between farmer leaders and district officials had failed, prompting the government to send Law Minister HK Patil and Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil to negotiate. The farmers had initially rejected the government’s offer of Rs 3,100 per tonne for a 10.25 recovery rate and Rs 3,200 for 11.25 recovery.

Following further deliberations and Cabinet-level discussions, a seven-hour-long meeting was held on Friday morning with both farmer leaders and factory owners presenting their concerns. While farmers cited rising cultivation costs, factory owners pointed to financial losses linked to Central government policies.