In Bengaluru on Thursday, Union Minister for Food, Pralhad Joshi told reporters that Karnataka’s state government must act quickly on the sugarcane price dispute.
Joshi was speaking at the BJP’s headquarters in Jagannath Bhavan after the state government warned about sugarcane pricing. The minister said the centre sets the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane before each crushing season. “We have set the FRP at ₹350 per quintal,” he said.
Earlier, farmers had complained that payments for the last sugar season were delayed by three to four years. Joshi announced that 97.2 % of the payments for the past season are now cleared. He urged the Karnataka government to meet with both sugar‑mill owners and farmers to settle the issue quickly and avoid “irresponsible statements.”
The minister also added that sugar‑mill owners have asked for permission to export. “We estimate 15–20 lakh tonnes of surplus sugar and will allow exports of about 15 lakh tonnes,” Joshi said. “Molasses exports are also approved.”
Farmers have been demanding ₹3,500 per tonne, far above the centre’s FRP of ₹350. Joshi warned that the state should not waste time on political talk and must bring the farmers to the table. He reminded that when Karnataka ministers previously raised the FRP from ₹340 to ₹350, the issue resolved quickly.
The farmers’ groups in north Karnataka have been on the road for over a week. They want factories to buy sugarcane at ₹3,500 per tonne and have threatened to block national highways from Friday if no decision is made by 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Joshi said that if the Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, calls a meeting, it is a good step and the matter should be resolved. The opposition BJP state unit has backed the protests, and the farmers face pressure from the government to stop the road blockades.
In short, the centre wants a fair settlement, the state must negotiate, and the farmers insist on higher prices. The next few hours will decide whether the confrontation ends or the blockade continues.
Source: ianslive
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