Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the sugarcane farmers’ crisis in North Karnataka, calling for early decisions on five key demands related to sugar prices, ethanol procurement and fair remuneration for growers.
In a statement, Shivakumar said the delay in the commencement of the sugarcane crushing season had created uncertainty for thousands of farming families, with mature cane still standing in their fields. He warned that every passing day could reduce cane weight and sugar content, directly affecting farmers’ earnings.
Recalling his recent visit to Kittur, where he met protesting farmers, Shivakumar said he understood their concerns and had written to the Prime Minister seeking intervention on issues falling under the Union government’s purview.
The Chief Minister sought a revision of the minimum selling price of sugar, which has remained unchanged at ₹31 per kg since 2019, to reflect rising sugarcane production costs and help mills pay farmers fairly. He also called for separate minimum selling prices for domestic and commercial sugar to protect household consumers while ensuring fair prices for bulk buyers.
Other demands include reviewing the exclusion of ethanol produced from sugarcane juice, sugar syrup and B-heavy molasses from procurement tenders, ensuring fair allocation based on installed capacity, and increasing cane-based ethanol prices that have remained unchanged since 2022-23.
Shivakumar also urged the Centre to restore the fair and remunerative price (FRP) base recovery rate to 9.50%, saying farmers in regions with lower sugar recovery rates should receive fair remuneration despite differences in soil, climate and crushing conditions.
Shivakumar said the state government had taken steps within its powers to improve transparency in sugarcane weighment, strengthen sugar recovery testing and provide additional financial assistance to farmers.
He welcomed the Union government’s committee examining issues in the sugar sector but stressed that urgent decisions were needed as the crushing season had already been delayed.
“The livelihoods of lakhs of sugarcane farmers and the well-being of their families are at stake,” Shivakumar said, urging the Centre to respond positively to the demands and enable the crushing season to begin without further delay.
