Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar will sit down with the state’s sugarcane farmers at Suvarna Soudha on October 26, a high-stakes session aimed at resolving a pricing deadlock that has left thousands of growers waiting for overdue payments. The meeting, scheduled for two hours, is expected to yield a concrete timeline for disbursing the arrears that have accumulated since the last harvest season.
The absence of Union Minister for Cooperation Pralhad Joshi adds a layer of political tension to the event. While state officials initially confirmed his attendance, a last-minute schedule conflict in New Delhi forced his cancellation. This snub has not gone unnoticed by farmer unions, who view the meeting as a critical forum to pressure the central government to honor its share of the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Farmers have been staging small-scale sit-ins near sugar mills in Belagavi and Dharwad districts, claiming that the promised advance payments are nowhere to be found.
The Price of Waiting
The core of the dispute isn’t just the price per quintal; it’s the liquidity crisis facing small and marginal farmers. According to data released by the Karnataka State Cooperative Board, over 1.2 lakh farmers are owed approximately ₹420 crore in pending cane payments. These aren’t large commercial estates; these are families who sold their cattle to plant the crop.
“We haven’t seen money in months,” said Ramesh Kumar, a farmer from Tarali taluk, speaking to local reporters outside a sugar mill gate. “We bought seeds on credit. We hired labor on credit. Now the bank is knocking on the door, and the mill says the government hasn’t released the funds. Who do we turn to?” The sentiment is palpable across the cane belt. The delay isn’t just an economic statistic; it’s a threat to their ability to plant the next season’s crop without falling deeper into debt.
Why Joshi’s Absence Matters
Pralhad Joshi, who oversees the Ministry of Cooperation, holds the purse strings for several cooperative sugar factories in Karnataka. His presence at Suvarna Soudha was meant to signal that the Union government was taking the farmers’ grievances seriously. His absence, however, is being interpreted as a sign of bureaucratic inertia at the center.
State officials downplayed the snub, claiming that the CM’s meeting is the primary venue for resolution. “The Chief Minister is the final authority on state-level agricultural issues,” a senior minister told reporters in a brief presser. “We will address the payment schedule directly with the farmers. The Union Minister’s attendance is a formality, not a prerequisite for action.” Yet, farmers’ leaders like H. S. Gowda of the Karnataka Sugarcane Farmers Association disagree. They argue that without the Union Minister, the state cannot compel the central agencies to release the matching funds required for the MSP calculation.
A Detail From the Ground
There’s a specific detail that highlights the desperation on the ground: the condition of the farm implements. In villages near Chitradurga, farmers are reportedly not repairing their tractors or harrows. Why? Because the cost of diesel and spare parts is backed by the money they expect to receive from this meeting. If the October 26 session ends without a clear payment date, these machines will remain rusted until the next monsoon, further delaying the planting cycle and worsening the state’s agricultural output. It’s a quiet strike, one that doesn’t make headlines but quietly bleeds the sector of its future potential.
What Comes Next
The deadline is tight. The Government of India mandates that cane payments must be settled within 95 days of delivery. Many farmers in Karnataka are well past this window. The meeting on October 26 is expected to produce a weekly payment schedule, breaking down the ₹420 crore into manageable tranches. If the CM fails to present a concrete timetable, the farmers have hinted at a larger protest march heading toward the state capital in early November. The next major decision point is the state cabinet meeting scheduled for October 29, where the payment plan will likely be rubber-stamped, or, if it fails, the political fallout will be immediate and severe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Union Minister not attending the meeting?
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has cited a prior commitment in New Delhi as the reason for his absence. While the state government has assured that the meeting will proceed as planned and address all key issues, the farmer unions are concerned that the lack of Union representation weakens the negotiating power for MSP-related funds.
What is the exact amount of pending payment for sugarcane farmers?
According to the latest figures from the Karnataka State Cooperative Board, the total arrears stand at approximately ₹420 crore. This amount covers the unpaid Minimum Support Price and promotional cess for the 2025-26 crop season, affecting over 1.2 lakh farmers across the state.
Source: The Hindu
This article was compiled by the IndiaBBCNews editorial system from verified international news sources. Facts have been independently reviewed. Original reporting: The Hindu.
