Farmers threaten highway blockade over sugarcane price

Belagavi Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha State President Chunappa Pujari has warned that farmers will block national highways across the state on October 13 if the Central Government fails to meet their demands for a higher sugar price. Speaking to reporters at Sambra Airport in Belagavi on Monday, Pujari said a meeting with sugarcane growers was scheduled for 3 pm at Krishi Bhavan in Delhi. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan are expected to lead the discussions. A delegation of 30 to 40 farmer leaders from Karnataka has left for Delhi to present their demands. Pujari said farmers were demanding a ₹60 increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for sugar. The demand follows a recent gathering of around five lakh farmers in Hubballi. Farmers have also sought a guarantee of 100 per cent ethanol procurement, a price of ₹100 for commercial-use sugar and discussions on implementing the Swaminathan Committee report. He said farmers, youths, ex-servicemen, lawyers and pro-Kannada organisations were ready to join the agitation if the meeting failed to produce a favourable decision. Pujari criticised the Centre for not increasing the sugar price adequately over the past decade, while claiming that the cost of petrol, diesel and fertilisers had risen sharply. State Farmers' Association General Secretary Kishan Nandi said sugarcane growers could receive ₹5,500 per tonne if the sugar MSP was fixed at ₹60. He also demanded full ethanol procurement, a national sugar policy and a farm loan waiver, citing the financial difficulties caused by droughts, floods and mounting debts. Nandi said sugar should be classified separately for domestic and commercial use. He warned that highways connecting Karnataka with Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala would be blocked if the government failed to respond. The farmers said they would continue their agitation until a satisfactory price decision was announced at the Delhi meeting.