Belagavi, November 8, 2025
After a tense week of road blockades, tyre burnings, and effigy demonstrations that paralyzed northern Karnataka's highways, sugarcane farmers began dismantling their protest camps on Saturday following Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's announcement of a revised procurement price of ₹3,300 per tonne— a move hailed by the opposition BJP as a "victory for peaceful agitation" but dismissed by some farmer leaders as a half-measure falling short of their ₹3,500 demand. The decision, reached after marathon meetings in Bengaluru involving mill owners and farmer representatives, injects a state subsidy of ₹50 per tonne on top of mills' ₹3,250 payment, at an estimated annual cost of ₹300 crore to the exchequer.
The agitation, which erupted on October 31 in districts like Belagavi, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Haveri, and Chikkodi, stemmed from mounting frustrations over the Centre-fixed Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of ₹3,550 per tonne—announced in May for a 10.25% sugar recovery rate—that farmers say evaporates after hefty deductions for harvesting, transport, and other charges. With recovery rates hovering around 10.5%, cultivators argued the effective payout dips below production costs, exacerbating debts amid erratic monsoons and rising input prices. "We've been bleeding for years; ₹3,500 is the bare minimum to survive," said Chunappa Pujari, a farmer leader from the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, who spearheaded the Gurlapur Cross sit-in that snowballed into a statewide stir.
### From Sit-In to Standoff: A Week of Escalation
What began as a modest protest at Belagavi's Gurlapur Cross quickly escalated, with thousands blocking NH-48 and NH-548, leading to traffic snarls stretching for kilometers and isolated clashes, including an incident where slippers were hurled at Agriculture Minister Shivanand Patil's vehicle. Farmers, many arriving on tractors adorned with placards reading "Centre Cheats, State Sleeps," rejected the CM's initial invitation for Bengaluru talks, insisting on an on-site price announcement to honor their resolve. By mid-week, the stir had drawn over 10,000 participants, with women and youth joining en masse, amplifying calls for the state to bridge any FRP shortfall if mills balked at higher rates.
The Siddaramaiah administration, caught between fiscal constraints and electoral pressures ahead of local polls, responded swiftly but cautiously. On November 6, the CM penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging an urgent meeting to revise the FRP upward, underscoring that "fundamental levers are in the Centre's hands." Concurrently, Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda and Sugar Minister Sharan Prakash Patil shuttled between protest sites and Delhi, lobbying Union ministers for Karnataka's 116.31 crore litres of ethanol allocation to bolster mill viability.
### The Announcement: Relief or Ruse?
Friday's cabinet decision marked a tentative truce: Mills commit to ₹3,250 per tonne at the farmgate, with the state topping up ₹50 via direct transfers—excluding harvesting and transport, which farmers must negotiate separately. Siddaramaiah, addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, framed it as a "pro-farmer step" while appealing for calm: "We've listened; now let's ensure every rupee reaches your pockets." The subsidy, drawn from the state's ₹30,000 crore sugar byproduct revenue, is projected to benefit over 1.5 lakh growers in the upcoming crushing season.
Yet, jubilation was tempered by skepticism. At Belagavi's protest hub, some farmers erupted in cheers, lighting diyas in celebration, but others decried the hike as "too little, too late," pointing to ambiguities in enforcement. "₹3,300 sounds good on paper, but without binding mill agreements, it's worthless," fumed Mahantesh Kapatkar of the Belagavi District Sugarcane Growers' Association, vowing to monitor payments closely. Farmer outfits like the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana echoed the sentiment, demanding a white paper on deductions and threatening a revival if shortfalls persist.
### Political Crossfire: Blame Game Heats Up
The BJP, sensing political capital, claimed credit for the outcome. State president BY Vijayendra lauded the "peaceful protests backed by farmer unions" as the catalyst, slamming the Congress for "foot-dragging" and past accusations of BJP instigation. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka concurred, welcoming the fix but warning it "remains ink on paper" without swift rollout. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi fired back at the state, accusing it of "petty politics" and misinformation on FRP calculations—insisting the true rate at 10.5% recovery is ₹3,636—and urging focus on curbing mill deductions rather than Centre-bashing.
Congress loyalists countered that the Modi government's May FRP notification ignored Karnataka's pleas for a 11% recovery adjustment, fueling the unrest. "The Centre hoards power; we deliver relief," quipped a party spokesperson, highlighting the subsidy as evidence of Siddaramaiah's commitment despite fiscal tightropes.
### Outlook: Harvest of Hope or Hurdles?
As crushing season looms, the northern belt's mills—key to 25% of India's sugarcane output—brace for reconciliation talks. Experts predict the ₹300 crore outlay could stabilize supplies, but warn of ripple effects if Delhi drags on the PM meeting. For now, the air in Belagavi carries a mix of relief and resolve: tractors rumble homeward, but eyes remain on the mills. "We've won a battle, not the war," Pujari told reporters, encapsulating a movement that exposed the fragile Centre-state sugar pact.
This report draws from on-ground dispatches, official statements, and farmer interviews. For updates, contact Karnataka's Agriculture Helpline at 1800-425-1551.
For More News Updates Follow Us On Www.tconews.in
