Karnataka Sugarcane Price Row Nears Resolution As Farmers, Mills Link Rates To Centre’s Decision

Karnataka’s sugarcane price dispute has moved towards a resolution, with farmers and mill owners agreeing to link cane prices to the Centre’s proposed revision of sugar’s minimum selling price.

Post Published By: Pradeep Tripathi

Updated : 27 October 2026, 7:01 PM IST

Karnataka sugarcane price dispute moves closer to resolution (Img: IANS)

Bengaluru: Karnataka’s prolonged sugarcane price dispute has moved closer to a resolution after farmers and sugar mill owners agreed to link the final price of sugarcane to the Centre’s decision on revising the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar.

Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said both sides would discuss the proposed arrangement internally and convey their final decision within two days. Sugarcane growers have been demanding an incentive of Rs 6,000 per tonne.

Five Rounds Of Talks Bring Breakthrough

According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the understanding followed five rounds of negotiations lasting nearly 10 hours at the Circuit House and Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi. The discussions began around 11 am on Monday and continued until midnight.

Also Read: Karnataka Final Voter List Out: 99.32 Lakh Names Removed, EC Reveals New Elector Count

Shivakumar described the outcome as positive, saying representatives of farmers and sugar factories had acknowledged the need to protect growers’ earnings while ensuring the financial viability of mills.

Centre’s Decision On Sugar Prices Key To Settlement

The chief minister said farmers had also met Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who assured them that their concerns would be taken up with the Centre.

Sugar mill representatives agreed that the price payable to sugarcane growers could be determined after the Union government revised the minimum selling price of sugar. The proposed arrangement is expected to help both sides reach an agreement on the final cane price.

Also Read: JK Cabinet Expansion: Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary Targets BJP Over Governance and Kashmiri Safety

Shivakumar said the state government would support the negotiations and take up the matter with the Centre to facilitate an early settlement. He expressed hope that assurances from Union ministers would lead to concrete action.

Farmers To Convey Final Decision Within Two Days

Farmers have sought two days to deliberate on the proposal before communicating their final position. The chief minister said the government remained committed to protecting farmers’ livelihoods while ensuring that sugar factories remained financially sustainable.

Also Read: Akhilesh Yadav Alleges Rigging in UP MLC Polls, Claims Unfolded Ballot Papers Found in Box

He also offered to engage with the Centre whenever necessary to pursue the growers’ demands, describing the latest developments as an encouraging step towards ending the agitation.

The negotiations involved nine ministers, around 70 MLAs, representatives of 79 of Karnataka’s 80 sugar factories and farmer leaders. The broad participation highlighted the scale of the effort to resolve the dispute.