Bengaluru, 7 Nov 

The Karnataka government has decided to fix the price at Rs 3,300 per tonne of sugarcane, yielding a recovery of 11.25 per cent, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said after meeting protesting farmers. Farmer bodies then agreed to call off the protests. 

The farmers’ protest entered its ninth day at Gurlapur Cross in Mudalagi taluk of Belagavi district on Friday. They began their protest demanding a procurement price of Rs 3,500 per tonne of sugarcane. The movement has also spread across various parts of north Karnataka.

“The Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Belagavi district had offered Rs 3,100 per tonne of sugarcane yielding a recovery of 10.25 per cent, and Rs 3,200 per tonne for recovery of 11.25 per cent,” Siddaramaiah said. “As protests continued despite this, we (will) pay Rs 50 from the factory owners' side and Rs 50 from the government. That means to say Rs 100 in total will be paid in addition to what DC had offered to the farmers per metric tonne.”

Violence had erupted at various locations across the State. 

At Hattargi, near Belagavi, the agitation took a more aggressive turn as sugarcane farmers blocked the Pune–Bengaluru National Highway.  The protesters parked tractors on the highway, causing severe traffic disruption, with long queues of vehicles. A stone-throwing incident also injured six police personnel.

CM says Centre’s FRP rate is not scientific 

Bengaluru, 7 Nov 

Following a seven-hour meeting with protesting sugarcane farmers, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah slammed the Central government, saying the Fair Remunerative Price (FRP) was “not scientific”. 

“The FRP set by the central government for sugarcane is not scientific,” he said in a statement after the meeting on Friday. “Sugar factories are showing lower recovery rates. To prevent this, a laboratory should be established on behalf of the government in front of every factory.”

Factories have been asked to pay Rs 3,200 per tonne in one instalment to farmers, and Rs 50 subsequently, he said, "With the government giving Rs 50 per tonne, it may cost about Rs 300 crore to it."

“Separate rates will be fixed from district to district according to the recovery rate,” he said.

Most of the sugar factory owners have agreed to the price decided, Siddaramaiah said," some of them had some reservations. I have asked them to cooperate to help the farmers in distress."

The Chief Minister said he will lead an all-party delegation also comprising sugar mill owners to the Centre to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others. 

“We have stated that we are ready to take a delegation to the Centre, including representatives from all political parties, to press the Central government on increasing the MSP for sugar, increasing ethanol allocation, raising the sugar export limit, and similar matters,” he said. The government would also hold a separate meeting with mill owners. 

“The proposal to impose a tax of 60 paise per unit on the electricity sold by sugar factories will be reconsidered,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that there are 81 sugar factories in the State, out of which 11 are cooperative and only one is government-owned. 

Last year, 5.6 crore metric tonnes of sugarcane were produced in the State, and it is estimated that 6 crore metric tonnes of sugarcane will be produced this year, he said.

Issues relating to the FRP formula, the stagnating Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar, export curbs and the under-utilised ethanol offtake from sugar-based feedstock have to be addressed by the Central government, he asserted.

CELEBRATIONS AND VIOLENCE 

There were scenes of celebration following the Chief Minister's announcement at the protest site at Gurlapur Cross in Belagavi, with the bursting of crackers.

However, earlier in the day, protestors hurled water bottles and footwear at Ramdurg legislator Ashok Pattan.