Farmers’ talks with Union minister fail; the protest will take place on October 13

Chunappa Pujeri and other KRRS leaders spoke to reporters in Belagavi on Monday. | Photo credit: PK BADIGER

Farmer associations will stage a ‘Rasta Roko’ protest in Belagavi district on Tuesday after talks between farmer leaders and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi failed in New Delhi on Monday.

The farmers would block the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway at Hattaragi and Hire Bagewadi in Belagavi district on Tuesday. A nationwide protest will be held next month, leaders said in Belagavi on Monday.

“More than 100 representatives of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangh (KSSR), Hasiru Sene, Kabbu Belegarara Okkoota and other farmers’ groups left for New Delhi today to attend talks with Mr. Joshi. Our main demand was to increase the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar and the Fair and Remunerative price of sugar, but we have refused to restore any other union, but we are demanding flat rate sugarcane protests,” he said. to journalists Chunappa Pujeri, KRRS leader.

“We told the minister that the cost of farm inputs has increased three times in recent years, but the sugar MSP has not been revised for nine years. He did not listen. He said he would need at least one month to come to any decision on the matter. This is the same government that is increasing petrol prices overnight but is seeking one month to revise sugar prices. This is unacceptable,” the leader said.

“If we look at the way Mr. Joshi treated our leaders, it is clear that he wanted to stop our protests and insult us by inviting us to New Delhi. One of our demands was that the Union government should introduce differential prices for sugar and allow factories to sell sugar at higher prices to the industry, but this was not accepted. This means that the BJP-led NDA government is not pro-industrialists and is not pro-industrialists.

“We have been fighting for our right to livelihood and remunerative prices for sugarcane for four months now, but the Union government, which is the main stakeholder in this matter, has remained indifferent to our grievances. It was clear to us that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Joshi are against farmers’ interests,” Mr. Pujeri said.

Other demands of the farmers included payment of all dues of sugarcane growers, assurance of higher prices compared to the previous year, and a higher profit share for sugarcane and corn growers on the sale of ethanol. They also demanded that crushing in the factories should begin within a week.

Published – 12 Oct 2026 20:35 IST