The recent district administration-brokered settlement over sugarcane prices in Belagavi has been disrupted after two sugar factories announced rates significantly higher than the agreed Rs 3,600 per tonne. Shiraguppi Sugar Works in Kagawad taluk declared a price of Rs 4,000 per tonne, while Venkateshwara Sugar Factory in Bedakihal, Nippani taluk, set its rate at Rs 4,200 per tonne. These announcements have reignited debate among farmers and industry stakeholders regarding the pricing formula established during last week’s negotiations, which had previously ended a month-long growers’ agitation.
Following the settlement, all 29 sugar factories in the district published their cane price schedules and commenced procurement and crushing operations. However, the new higher rates have led farmers to question why certain mills can pay substantially more than the agreed formula while others continue with the Rs 3,600-per-tonne rate. Industry observers noted that these announcements could influence procurement patterns, particularly in areas where multiple mills compete for cane supplies. As harvesting and crushing activities intensify across the district, growers are monitoring whether other factories will adopt similar pricing. Chunappa Pujeri, state president of Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangh and Hasiru Sene, welcomed the higher prices and expressed hope that more mills would follow suit.
