Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar stated that sugarcane growers and sugar mill owners in Belagavi will announce a final decision within two days following marathon negotiations. The talks, which continued until midnight, resulted in a framework linking the payments mills make to farmers with the Centre’s decision on the minimum selling price (MSP) for sugar. While this development brings the parties closer to an agreement, no specific rupee-per-tonne rate for sugarcane has been finalized or announced as effective.
Shivakumar noted that farmers had spoken with a Union minister and received assurances, leading mill owners to agree to the proposed framework. He emphasized that the government’s priority is the livelihoods of farmers, stating, “Farmers must survive, and factories must survive too.” The state government remains prepared to engage with the Centre at any time to support further discussions between growers and mills. Farmers have requested two days for internal consultations and remain confident that the Union minister will honor the given assurances.
The discussions took place at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha and the Circuit House, spanning approximately 10 hours in five rounds from 11 am to midnight. Representatives from 79 of the state’s 80 sugar factories participated alongside farmer leaders. The deliberations involved nine ministers and 70 legislators, including Satish Jarkiholi, Laxman Savadi, Santosh Lad, Yashavantharaya Gouda Patil, and MLA N H Konareddi. Key farmer representatives present were Badagalapura Nagendra, Choonappa Pujari, Kuruburu Shanthakumar, and Chukki Nanjundaswamy.
