The Hubballi Chalo padayatra of sugarcane farmers is likely to come to a temporary halt today

After days of road blockades, sugarcane farmers launched hubballi Chalo padayatra from Hattargi in Belagavi district last week for better prices of sugar and sugarcane. | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO

Sugarcane growers are likely to temporarily withdraw their Hubballi Chalo padayatra on Monday, the sixth day of the agitation for better sugarcane prices. The agitation is likely to resume after the farmers’ rally in New Delhi on October 23, called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha.

“Senior leaders will take a decision on an all-India protest for better sugarcane prices at a rally in Delhi. Once we get a signal from there, we will resume the agitation,” said one of the farmers’ leaders.

Some of the leaders participating in the rally met near Tegur village on the border of Belagavi and Dharwad districts and discussed the issue.

Some of them said farmers have been away from their fields since October 13 and the sugarcane crop is drying up due to lack of rainfall and inadequate irrigation.

Others said the messages sent by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar need to be taken to the villages and feedback from more farmers needed.

Mr. Shivakumar on Saturday assured farmers in Kittur that he would call a meeting of farmers, factory owners and officers next week. He agreed to consider the demand for a state-notified price of ₹1,000 per tonne of sugarcane supplied.

Some farmer leaders said the central panel set up to look into the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) for sugar and the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane should be given some time.

The leaders decided to announce a temporary halt to the padayatra on Monday to resume it next week. An announcement is likely to be made on Monday afternoon.

Farmers had earlier given Union Minister Pralhad Joshi a deadline of Sunday evening to announce a decision to revise MSP and FRP.

“We have decided to call off the agitation if the Union government sends a message, but we have not received any message,” farmers’ leader Chunappa Pujeri told reporters.

Published – 18 Oct 2026 19:11 IST