Belagavi : Days after a district administration-brokered settlement ended a month-long agitation over sugarcane prices, the issue has taken a fresh turn with two sugar factories announcing rates well above the agreed Rs 3,600 per tonne.
Shiraguppi Sugar Works in Kagawad taluk has declared a cane price of Rs 4,000 per tonne, while Venkateshwara Sugar Factory at Bedakihal in Nippani taluk has announced Rs 4,200 per tonne. The higher rates have prompted farmers to question why some mills can pay substantially more than the agreed rate, while others continue with the Rs 3,600-per-tonne formula.
Industry observers said the announcements could influence procurement patterns, especially in regions where multiple mills compete for cane supplies. Chunappa Pujeri, state president of Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangh and Hasiru Sene, welcomed the higher prices and said he hopes more mills will follow. The move has reignited debate among farmers and industry stakeholders over the pricing formula finalised during negotiations. With harvesting and crushing gathering pace across the district, growers are closely watching whether other factories follow suit.