Karnataka govt, sugarcane farmers move closer to price agreement; harvesting appeal made

Belagavi, Oct 27 : The Karnataka government and sugarcane farmers have moved closer to reaching an agreement on sugarcane pricing, with Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday appealing to protesting farmers to allow harvesting operations to continue while negotiations are underway.

Shivakumar said the government had held extensive discussions with farmer leaders, sugar factory representatives, legislators, ministers and officials to resolve the pricing dispute. Another round of talks would be held within the next two days to arrive at a final decision, he said.

Around 70 MLAs and MPs, nine ministers and officials from various departments, including Finance, participated in the discussions, which continued late into Monday night, the Chief Minister told reporters here.

He said sugar factories had agreed to accept the price finalised by the government and make payments to farmers accordingly. However, the final rate was yet to be decided.

Shivakumar said the Centre's intervention was necessary to resolve the issue of fixing a floor price, as sugar factories were reluctant to agree to one without clarity on sugar prices.

Appealing to farmers to cooperate, he urged them to allow harvesting operations to continue while the government pursued negotiations with factory owners and the Centre. He assured farmers that the government would consult officials and engage with all stakeholders to reach an early settlement.

The next round of discussions could be held either in Belagavi or Bengaluru, depending on the convenience of the participants.

Reiterating the government's commitment to protecting farmers' interests, Shivakumar said he had also written to the Prime Minister seeking intervention in the matter.

The sugarcane pricing dispute has triggered protests across parts of Karnataka, with farmers demanding a remunerative price for their produce. The latest round of discussions has raised hopes of a settlement, although the final price and terms of the agreement are yet to be announced.