Sugarcane farmers in Karnataka have said they will continue their agitation even after the Union government agreed to form a committee to examine their demands. The announcement of a four-member panel headed by agricultural scientist Ramesh Chand was welcomed by farm leaders, who noted that it includes representation from all stakeholders. Speaking to reporters near Belagavi on 15 October, farmer leader Chunappa Pujeri said the panel has been asked to look at the minimum selling price of sugar, the fair and remunerative price of cane and all related questions. He expressed hope that the committee would submit its report quickly and that the Centre would then act on it.
Even so, the farmers argued that forming a committee is not a reason to call off the stir. Their stated condition for withdrawal is a Union announcement fixing the minimum selling price of sugar at no less than ₹60 per kilogram and the FRP for cane at ₹5,500. The agitation has centred on north Karnataka, the state’s main sugarcane belt, where growers have complained that mills pay too little compared with their production costs. Earlier phases of the protest saw road and highway blockades across several districts, and the state’s chief minister had previously urged the Prime Minister to intervene.
Mill owners and cane growers have also been at odds over the payment of dues at agreed prices. The standoff puts pressure on both New Delhi and Bengaluru, because pricing of sugar and cane is largely a central matter while the practical fallout of the dispute, from blocked traffic to unpaid farmers, lands on the state. The committee’s report timeline will now determine whether the protest cools down or escalates further.