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LOUD
Heating upfarmersprices

Sugarcane farmers call for statewide Karnataka bandh over pricing demands

Several cities · pinned on Belagavi, India · since Oct 31, 2026

Is it still on?

YESDay 2 and counting, since Oct 31.

Last report · checked

The Tea in three lines

Why they are protesting
Sugarcane growers are protesting over low procurement prices and seeking a higher rate for their crops from mills and the government.
What they want
Farmers demand ₹5,500 per tonne for sugarcane, comprising ₹4,500 from sugar factories and a ₹1,000 incentive from the state.
What changed
Oct 31: Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar appealed to protesting farmers to resume harvesting and abide by previous understandings.
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Both sides

What protesters want

  • Fixation of ₹5,500 per tonne for sugarcane procurement
  • ₹4,500 from sugar factories and a ₹1,000 state government incentive
  • Restoring Fair and Remunerative Price base recovery to 9.5 percent
  • Reviewing the Centre's ethanol policy
  • Implementing MS Swaminathan Commission recommendations

Organised by: Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Hasiru Sene

What authorities say

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar appealed for calm and patience, stating that sugar factories cannot afford higher procurement prices without a revision in sugar price by the Union Government. He noted that he wrote to the Prime Minister seeking intervention.56

The full story

Sugarcane farmers in Karnataka launched a statewide bandh and staged protests on October 31 to press for higher procurement prices. Organised by groups like the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, protesters blocked roads, staged sit-ins near bus stands, and disrupted normal activity across several towns in Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot, and other districts despite prohibitory orders issued by authorities. Protesters demanded ₹5,500 per tonne for sugarcane, implementation of the MS Swaminathan Commission recommendations, and a revision of the Centre's ethanol policy. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar appealed for calm, noting that higher prices depend on a revision of the sugar MSP by the Union Government and that he had written to the Prime Minister's Office seeking intervention.

Timeline

  1. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar appealed to farmers to resume harvesting and abide by understandings reached during previous meetings.56

  2. Sugarcane farmers staged roadblocks, sit-ins at bus stands, and observed a bandh across multiple districts in North Karnataka.45

  3. Farmer leader Chunappa Pujeri announced a statewide Karnataka bandh for October 31 over sugarcane pricing demands.12

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