DK Shivakumar calls October 26 meeting with cane growers, sugar mills amid north Karnataka unrest

Bengaluru: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has convened a meeting of sugarcane growers and sugar mill representatives in Belagavi on October 26 as the state government seeks to address mounting unrest among farmers in Karnataka's sugarcane-growing belt.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Shivakumar said Union Minister Pralhad Joshi would not attend the meeting. According to the Chief Minister, Joshi suggested that the state government first hold discussions with stakeholders, following which he would convene a separate meeting at the Centre's level.

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Shivakumar said the challenges faced by sugarcane farmers extend beyond Karnataka and require intervention at the national level. The Union minister has conveyed that a separate meeting with central government officials would be held to examine the issues and explore solutions, he added.

The Chief Minister reiterated that the concerns raised by sugarcane growers, including demands related to cane prices and industry viability, can be resolved only through coordinated discussions involving farmers, sugar mills, the state government and the Centre.

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The meeting comes against the backdrop of ongoing protests by sugarcane farmers in north Karnataka. Growers have been pressing for measures to improve returns from cane cultivation amid concerns over pricing and payments.

Earlier, Shivakumar wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the Centre's intervention on five key issues affecting the sugar sector. These include a revision of the minimum selling price of sugar, separate pricing for retail and commercial sugar sales, a review of ethanol procurement guidelines, higher prices for cane-based ethanol, and restoration of the base recovery level used for calculating the fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane.

The state government hopes the upcoming talks in Belagavi will help build consensus on the farmers' demands and pave the way for a coordinated approach with the Centre.