Belagavi: Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene president Chunappa Pujeri on Thursday announced that farmers will gherao Union minister Pralhad Joshi’s residence in Hubballi on Sept 29, demanding that the sugarcane procurement price be fixed at Rs 5,500 per tonne.
Addressing reporters, Pujeri said the minimum support price (MSP) for sugar has remained at Rs 31 since 2019 despite a sharp rise in cultivation costs. He demanded that the MSP be increased to Rs 60 and the price of sugar sold for commercial purposes be raised to Rs 100 per kg. Pujeri also demanded permission for the sale of 100% of the ethanol produced by sugar factories in Karnataka, noting that only 30% is currently allowed to be sold. Referring to last year’s agitation, he said farmers had secured a price of Rs 3,300 per tonne, but alleged that some factories were yet to clear dues.
He said the protest was aimed at securing a scientific and remunerative price for sugarcane. The cost of sugarcane cultivation has nearly tripled over the past seven years, while returns to farmers have not kept pace, according to him. Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana founder president Raju Shetty said the agitation was a national-level movement and that farmers from Maharashtra would also participate.
He urged sugar factories to support the demand for higher cane prices and MSP revisions.