Shivakumar said not to get involved in scaring sugarcane farmers
Karnataka Sugarcane Growers Association President Kurbur Shantakumar met the protesters at Jerichoppah near Dharwad on Sunday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
By announcing that sugar mills will close if they agree to farmers’ demands to pay higher prices for sugarcane, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is engaging in panic-mongering. This is unacceptable, farmer leader Kurubur Shantakumar said on Sunday.
The Union and State Governments should not take the farmers’ movement lightly. They should also desist from politicizing the issues of sugar or sugarcane price hike, he said while addressing protesting farmers at Jerichopp near Dharwad.
He met the participants of the Hubballi Chalo padayatra and expressed support for their agitation.
He said he supported the farmers’ demands as they were fair and just.
“The Union government should allow differential pricing of sugar. It should also strictly enforce the Sugar Control Ordinance, 1966, which mandates factories to share profits from the sale of various by-products of sugar. The Center should increase the FRP for sugarcane by at least ₹ 4,500 per tonne with a sugar yield of 10.25%,” he said.
The state government should also redistribute its tax profits to farmers by paying ₹800 per tonne of sugarcane in line with the Tamil Nadu government, he said.
He sought immediate drought relief for all farmers who suffered crop loss. The state government should waive off all agricultural loans. It should stop forced loan enforcement by private banks and agencies, he said.
“Some microfinance institutions that provide loans to SHGs are forcing women to repay the loans. They are forcing them to sell their jewelery or property. Strict legal action should be taken to stop the recovery of such loans for the next two years,” he said.
He urged all ministers and legislators to give up their salary and wages and pay at least ₹25,000 per acre as compensation to drought-affected farmers.
Published – 18 Oct 2026 20:33 IST