Minister RB Thimmapur presides over a meeting of sugarcane growers and representatives of sugar mills in Bagalkot on Friday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
After a meeting in Bagalkot with factory management and district in-charge minister RB Thimmapur on Friday, sugarcane growers ended their two-week strike over higher prices in Mudhol.
This came a day after an incident of sabotage where several tractor-trailers were set on fire outside the Godavari Bio-refinery sugar mill at Sameerwadi in Bagalkot district.
The farmers dropped their demand of ₹3,500 per tonne for sugarcane and agreed to settle for the government-fixed price of ₹3,300 per tonne to be paid in three installments. However, they demanded that the mills clear the old dues of about ₹20 crore to the sugarcane growers within four days.
They also required all bills to be paid within two weeks of purchase.
Mr. Thimmapur announced in Bagalkot on Friday that the meeting was a success and that the agitation had been withdrawn.
The protest continued as several rounds of meetings held by Mr. Thimmapur, Deputy Commissioner Sangappa and others failed.
On Thursday, according to initial estimates, 100 loads of sugarcane crop, 20 tractor carts and four tractors were damaged.
The farmers’ representatives thanked the minister and the police for their cooperation during the Mudhol protest. They apologized to another police inspector, Mahanteshwar Jiddi, who sustained injuries during the protest and was admitted to hospital for treatment.
Published – 14 Nov 2025 20:53 IST
