Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has strongly criticised the Union Government for neglecting the concerns of sugarcane farmers, saying that lakhs of cultivators in the state are reeling under financial distress due to the growing gap between production costs and price realisation.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Siddaramaiah accused the Centre of evading the “core issue” of fair sugarcane pricing. “Lakhs of sugarcane farmers in Karnataka are in distress as the Union Govt evades the core issue of the widening gap between cultivation cost and price realisation,” he wrote.
The Chief Minister pointed out that under the current regime, the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane has grown at a much slower pace compared to the previous UPA government. “While projecting ₹355 per quintal FRP as an achievement, its CAGR since 2014 is just 4.47%, against 12.96% during UPA. Even with 20% ethanol blending and 10.25% recovery, farmers haven’t gained as benefits aren’t shared,” he added.
Siddaramaiah also criticised the absence of Union Ministers from Karnataka at the November 7 meeting on sugarcane pricing. “Shockingly, no Union Minister from Karnataka attended the Nov 7 meeting. Instead of solving the crisis, the Union Govt is trying to vilify farmers, mill owners and the State Govt to escape its responsibility. Karnataka demands justice, transparency and fair prices,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state’s ongoing sugarcane farmers’ protest was called off on Friday after the Karnataka Government announced a ₹100 per tonne increase in the FRP.
After holding extensive discussions with sugar factory owners and farmer representatives, the Chief Minister announced the new rates. “We held several rounds of talks. Out of 81 sugar factories in the state, 11 are under government control and one is government-owned. The rest are private,” he said.
Siddaramaiah explained that an agreement was reached to pay ₹3,000 per tonne for cane with 10.25% recovery and ₹3,200 per tonne for 11.25% recovery. “The government and factory owners will each contribute ₹50 per tonne, providing farmers ₹3,300 per tonne in total,” he said.
Following the announcement, farmers called off their agitation and celebrated the state government’s decision.
