Growers demand higher MSP sugar, cane incentives

Sugarcane growers block a road in support of their demands in Mysuru on Saturday. | Photo credit: MA Sriram

Members of the Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers Association blocked the Mysuru-Nanjangud road on Saturday demanding that the Union government raise the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar and the state government fix a remunerative price for sugarcane.

Association president Hallikerehundi Bhagyaraj, who led a group of growers in the protest, urged the state and union governments to address the crisis faced by sugarcane farmers. He said sugarcane generated more than ₹ 50,000 crore in revenue for the state and played a significant role in the economy.

Demanding an incentive of ₹800 per tonne for sugarcane growers in Karnataka, Bhagyaraj pointed out that Tamil Nadu was providing ₹700 per tonne, while Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh were offering ₹800 and ₹650 per tonne.

The main demands of the association include setting sugar MSP at ₹6,000 per quintal, revising the basic rate of fair return and reward (FRP) to 9.25%, increasing the market price of sugar supplied for commercial purposes and promoting ethanol production.

Criticizing the state government for not taking a concrete decision after the chief minister’s meeting with farmers in Belagavi, Bhagyaraj alleged that both the state and Union governments were delaying the decision instead of addressing the demands of the growers.

The association also demanded that sugar mills bear the transportation costs of harvested sugarcane and that the price-fixing mechanism should take into account crop yield. It sought a bilateral agreement between sugar mills and farmers to ensure timely harvest and payments.

The association pointed out that harvest delays of more than 15 months have affected crop yields and made it difficult for farmers to repay loans and urged the government to issue regulations mandating such agreements. It also sought criminal proceedings against sugar mills that failed to comply with orders to pay farm levies and demand crop insurance for sugarcane.

Meanwhile, farmers led by Borapura Shanker Gowda on Friday locked a sugar warehouse at the Chamundeshwari sugar factory near Bharathipura in Mandya district as part of their agitation demanding a review of the sugar MSP.

Mr. Gowda claimed that Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi had assured to fix the minimum price of sugar in the interest of both farmers and sugar mills. However, the minister’s “absence” from a meeting called by the farmers three days ago, he claimed, reflected his alleged apathy towards their concerns.

Another leader Kempe Gowda demanded that the Center in coordination with the state government fix the price of sugarcane at ₹5,500 per tonne.

Published – 31 Oct 2026 19:49 IST