Members of the Joint Organization of Sugarcane Growers Unions stage a rasta roko on the main road outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Kalaburagi on Monday. | Photo credit: ARUN KULKARNI
Accusing the sugar mills, state and central governments of adopting anti-agricultural policies, the Joint Organization of Sugarcane Unions staged a rasta roko outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Kalaburagi on Monday demanding that the central government fix the fair and remunerative price (FRP) at ₹ 5,500 per tonne of sugar at ₹ 5,500 per tonne of sugar in the uniform rate of sugar which pays 0% of the state’s tonne of sugar and 95. to farmers.
District convener of Karnataka Sugarcane Federation Sharanabasappa Mamshetty and Aland taluk president of Sugarcane Growers Association Dharamraj Sahu criticized the state government for fixing sugarcane price at ₹ 3,165 per tonne with 10.15% recovery rate for sugar mills in district30 while permission for sugar mills in Kalanburagne30 in other districts.
They said the difference was unfair to sugarcane growers in Kalaburagi district and urged the state government to fix a uniform price and issue an order directing all sugar mills across the state to pay the same price for sugarcane supplied to factories across the state.
Mr. Mamshetty said sugar mills continue to harass and exploit farmers by manipulating sugar levels, issuing unfair lab test results, delaying harvesting operations and deliberately delaying payments.
He claimed that several factories were refusing to follow government regulations on procurement rates.
District President of Sugarcane Growers Association Jagadish Patil Rajapur pointed out that due to excessive rainfall, most of the crops were damaged and only sugarcane remained as the last surviving source of income for the farmers this year.
Despite this, the Stte government has failed to protect farmers’ interests and is supporting sugar mills, Mr. Patil said.
Mr. Sahu demanded that sugar mills share at least 50% of the revenue earned from sugarcane by-products, including ethanol and molasses, with farmers.
The agitating farmers also demanded that the sugar mills clear the payments within 14 days of receipt of sugarcane without further delay.
Published – 17 Nov 2025 20:25 IST
