Karnataka Sugarcane Growers Seek FRP Hike to ₹4,500 a Tonne

The Karnataka Sugarcane Growers' Association has appealed to Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi to raise the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane to a minimum of ₹4,500 a tonne, pointing to drought conditions, climbing input and labour costs, and shrinking yields.

Speaking to reporters in Hubballi on Thursday, association State president Kurubur Shanthakumar said growers were under severe financial strain because of deficient rainfall and higher spending on fertilizers, labour and cultivation.

He described the existing practice of fixing FRP payments on the basis of sugar recovery from cane supplied in the previous year as unscientific and unfair, and pressed for an immediate overhaul of the system.

Mr. Shanthakumar also called for easing curbs on producing ethanol directly from sugarcane juice and syrup. Farmers, he said, should be allowed to make ethanol in their own small-scale units under regulation, arguing that wider ethanol production would open an additional income stream and support the use of alternative fuels.

According to the association, drought and weak rainfall have cut sugarcane output and yields across several regions even as rising demand has driven up sugar prices. Though the government has instructed sugar factories to begin crushing early, the difficulties confronting growers remain unaddressed, he alleged.

The association urged the State government to frame stringent legal provisions against sugar factories accused of defying government orders and repeatedly moving courts for stays. It also sought early implementation of the Kali river linking project for the benefit of farmers in the Dharwad and Haliyal regions.

Seeking relief for drought-affected cultivators, Mr. Shanthakumar demanded a waiver of crop loans in the State and an adequate, uninterrupted power supply to agricultural pumpsets, alleging that poor supply was causing crops to wither.

He also criticised Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's recent visit to an APMC yard, saying it would have been more useful had the Chief Minister acted to curb the illegal 10% commission collected from farmers at APMC yards statewide.

Association State general secretary Mahesh Belagaunkar, vice-president Suresh M. Patil and other office-bearers were present at the press meet.