Karnataka Chief Minister calls meeting over sugarcane pricing dispute

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has scheduled a meeting for October 26 with sugarcane farmers and factory owners to address ongoing disputes regarding crop pricing. The meeting follows a six-day indefinite strike by farmers in the Belagavi district, where protesters are demanding a remunerative price of Rs 5,500 per tonne for sugarcane and an increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops.

Farmers argue that current prices do not cover rising cultivation costs for fertilizers, labor, and irrigation. While Union Minister Prahlad Joshi initially agreed to attend the meeting, he later expressed an inability to participate, though he assured that the Central Government would take necessary steps to address the issue, noting its impact on multiple states.

In addition to the sugarcane crisis, the Chief Minister highlighted urgent concerns regarding drought conditions and water shortages in the Cauvery and Tungabhadra river basins. He has sought intervention from the Centre to manage these water shortages and is working to address forest-related matters, including the Mahadayi issue.