Belagavi: Having secured a deal with sugar factories on cane prices, sugarcane farmer leaders have shifted their focus to demanding a Rs 1,000-per-tonne incentive from the state govt, warning of a massive protest during the forthcoming winter session of the legislature in Belagavi.The decision was taken at a gathering of sugarcane growers at Gurlapur Cross in Mudalagi taluk Friday to chart the next phase of the agitation. Addressing the gathering, Chunappa Pujeri, state president, Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene (KRRS & HS), said farmers would now turn their attention to the govt.“If the incentive is not announced, lakhs of farmers will lay siege to Suvarna Vidhana Soudha during the winter session,” he said.Pujeri said the state earns thousands of crores of rupees in taxes from sugarcane and its by-products, and argued that farmers deserved financial support amid drought conditions and reduced yields.“We are seeking an incentive package of Rs 5,000 crore for sugarcane growers. Farmers have suffered due to drought and reduced production. The incentive is our right, and we are determined to secure it,” he said.Welcoming the agreement on a cane price of Rs 3,600 per tonne and a revenue-sharing formula linked to sugar sales, Pujeri described it as a historic decision that would ensure farmers benefit from higher sugar prices.“If sugar is sold at Rs 50 per kg, farmers could receive more than Rs 4,000 per tonne of sugarcane under the new formula,” he said, adding that the model would be extended to other sugar-producing districts.On comparisons with Maharashtra, where cane prices are generally higher, Pujeri attributed the difference largely to sugar recovery rates, which average 13-14% in Maharashtra against 10-12% in Karnataka’s border districts. He said the revenue-sharing model would help Karnataka farmers secure comparable returns.KRRS & HS honorary president Shashikant Guruji also criticised CM DK Shivakumar, alleging that the govt had tried to suppress the agitation through police action instead of addressing farmers’ demands.Meanwhile, Shivakumar Friday said the govt would not bow to what he called “blackmail tactics” by farmer leaders. He urged them to uphold the dignity of farmers and desist from threatening to disrupt the legislature session.
