Karnataka Sugarcane Farmers Intensify Protest as Centre Promises High-Level Committee
Bengaluru, October 13, 2026: Sugarcane farmers in Karnataka have intensified their agitation over cane prices and payment-related concerns after discussions with the Union government failed to produce an immediate agreement on their key demands. Farmers have announced highway blockades, while the Centre has promised to establish a high-level committee to examine the grievances of sugarcane growers in Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The latest developments follow a meeting in New Delhi on Monday, October 12, involving Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi, and representatives of farmers’ organisations. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar also met Joshi separately later that night to raise concerns affecting the state’s sugarcane growers.
Farmers Demand Higher Cane Prices
One of the main demands concerns the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), the minimum price sugar mills are legally required to pay farmers for sugarcane. For the 2026–27 season, the Centre has fixed the FRP at ₹365 per quintal for a basic sugar recovery rate of 10.25%.
However, farmer organisations argue that rising cultivation expenses, harvesting costs and other deductions are reducing their returns. The Karnataka Sugarcane Growers Association has sought a higher support price, including a demand for at least ₹550 per quintal, according to reports of the discussions.
Farmers have also called for an increase in the minimum selling price of sugar from the existing ₹31 per kilogram to ₹50 per kilogram. They argue that sugar prices and the revenue generated by mills should be considered while determining a fair return for growers.
Weighment and Recovery Rate Concerns
Apart from pricing, farmers have raised concerns about the accuracy of weighment, sugar recovery calculations and deductions made by sugar factories after harvesting.
The amount payable to a grower is linked to the quantity of cane supplied and the applicable pricing formula, including the recovery rate. Farmers want greater transparency in these calculations and have sought digital weighing systems to reduce the possibility of disputes.
They have also questioned deductions relating to harvesting and wastage. Their demands include examining whether revenue from by-products such as ethanol, bagasse and electricity should be considered when assessing the industry’s capacity to pay farmers.
Centre Announces Committee Within a Week
Following discussions lasting nearly three hours, the Union government announced plans to constitute a high-level joint committee within a week. The proposed panel is expected to examine the concerns raised by farmers and recommend measures to address issues involving pricing, weighment, recovery assessments and payments.
Pralhad Joshi has appealed to farmers to avoid road blockades, stating that the Centre is willing to work with state governments to find lasting solutions. The government has described the discussions as constructive, although farmers continue to seek concrete decisions rather than assurances.
Highway Blockades Threaten Traffic
Farmer leaders in Karnataka have called for highway blockades from October 13, expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome of the negotiations. Reports indicate that protests and roadblocks have affected, or threatened to affect, important routes in sugarcane-growing districts, including Belagavi, Bagalkote, Vijayapura and Dharwad.
The agitation has placed renewed pressure on both central and state authorities to resolve the dispute before the sugarcane crushing season progresses further.
What Happens Next?
The immediate focus is on the formation of the promised committee and whether it leads to measurable changes in cane pricing, payment transparency and factory practices. For farmers, the central issue remains whether the cost of cultivation can be adequately covered while ensuring a sustainable income.
Although the Centre’s announcement signals further negotiations, no final agreement on all the farmers’ demands has been confirmed in the reports available as of October 13. The coming days will be important in determining whether discussions lead to concrete relief or further protests across Karnataka.
Dynamic Leader News Desk
