Stakeholders must find solution to sugarcane farmers’ problems: Karnataka CM

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar struck a conciliatory tone in a meeting with sugar industry representatives and lawmakers in Belagavi on Monday.

“All stakeholders must jointly find a solution to the problems of sugarcane growers and the sugar industry. Blaming anyone will not achieve anything,” he said in his inaugural speech at Suvarna Soudha.

“When the earlier Siddaramaiah-led government tried to meet farmers’ demands by raising the state-announced price of sugarcane to ₹ 3,300, it met with questions. Although almost 80% of the factories paid, some did not. Some even went to court. The government took these decisions by respecting farmers’ concerns. It was also decided that factory owners would contribute part of the price to farmers’ contribution to the sugar price. Officials say those who have not complied with this order have approached the court. It is clear that the sugar mill owners have not won the confidence of the farmers,” he said.

“The state government has the responsibility to protect the farmers as well as the factory owners and must take a decision that will be accepted by all. The responsibility for the solution lies with the sugar mill owners, the Union government and the state government. The state government is also tasked with maintaining peace and law and order in Karnataka. We all must understand the consequences of all our actions,” the chief minister said.

“Sugarcane growers are facing some problems. The sugar industry is also facing some problems. But this is not limited to Karnataka. This problem persists in other states as well, including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The market price of sugar has not increased in the last 10 years. With no increase in prices for 10 years, farmers’ demand has suffered. to ₹ 6,000 per tonne of sugarcane as compensation Farmers say the main reason is that the Union government has not revised the minimum selling price of sugar,” Shivakumar said.

“Sugar mill owners face several challenges, from finance and banking to ethanol and electricity price concerns. Due to the complexity of the issue, I cannot take any decision unilaterally. That is why I asked the farmers for some time and explained that I need to consult with all stakeholders. The entire government is before you today. Lawmakers and members of parliament have their own pressures that cannot be dealt with; there is no other political solution to this problem. We have to find another solution for that,” he said.

“We are not taking any side. If factories cease to exist, farmers will suffer. On the contrary, without farmers, factories cannot survive. Therefore, we have to protect the interests of all parties. Please offer your suggestions to find a solution. Share your concerns,” added Mr. Shivakumar.

“The livelihood of farmers and sugar mill owners is paramount for us. I have spoken to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra who has expressed the view that this issue needs to be resolved. The sugar mill owners must gain the confidence of the farmers and ensure that there is no room for discontent. Even if compliance with government regulations is a burden, you have to take a decision to ensure that such a fire happened last year. Some vehicles we need a decision to achieve such favorable situation will not arise again,” he said.

“Union minister Pralhad Joshi is from our state and he is making his own efforts to resolve the situation. But we all have to put our case before him and urge him to do whatever it takes to solve this problem. We have made our efforts. I met Mr. Joshi, along with the district minister and local MLAs during the farmers’ protests. Though it seems that Mr. Joshi is interested in this matter again. It seems that I am interested again. this is a national problem, it was raised by the farmers of Karnataka.However, the decision has to be taken at the national level,” the chief minister said.

“The MPs informed me about the activities of the central panel headed by Ramesh Chand. Let us engage in discussions with the farmers and approach this issue with a generous heart. Let us reach a resolution together. I believe the issues of ethanol, molasses and sugar prices are being discussed at the center. Sometimes government decisions are influenced by the context of upcoming elections in some states. Karnataka government provides free ₹2000 per year for free spending. u of farmers’ pumping sets, the figure is set at ₹ 32,000 crore as farmers consume more electricity due to lack of rainfall, sugar production has also declined.

Published – 26 Oct 2026 16:26 IST