Sugarcane Farmers' Protest in Karnataka Suspended

Mysuru: In Karnataka—one of the leading sugar-producing states in South India—sugarcane farmers have temporarily suspended their protest. They have given the central government until November 26 to address their demands. Key demands from the farmers include an increase in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane and a hike in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) for sugar.

The decision to suspend the protest followed discussions between the Union Minister for Food and representatives of the farmers' organizations. This has brought relief to sugar mills, which had feared significant disruptions in sugarcane supplies due to the agitation.

The government has constituted a high-level committee to propose solutions for addressing the issues and grievances of the sugarcane farmers. The farmers argue that, given the continuous rise in production costs, the government should increase the FRP for sugarcane to a range of ₹4,500–₹5,500 per tonne.

Similarly, they are demanding that the ex-factory Minimum Selling Price for sugar be raised to ₹6,000 per quintal, up from the current rate of ₹3,100 per quintal. The central government has set the FRP for sugarcane at ₹3,650 per tonne for the 2026–27 season.