K’taka sugarcane farmers set deadline, threaten massive jail bharo agitation

• Karnataka sugarcane farmers set a 1 pm Wednesday deadline, demanding Rs 5,500 per tonne and threatening to intensify their jail bharo agitation

• Farmers rejected sugar factories' offer of Rs 3,500 per tonne, seeking an additional Rs 1,000 per tonne subsidy from the state government

• Protests have spread to Mysuru and Mandya, with farmers planning a Bengaluru convention on 6 November and further agitation during the winter session

Sugarcane farmers in Karnataka's Belagavi district have issued a fresh ultimatum to the state government, demanding an announcement on remunerative prices for their produce by 1 pm on Wednesday. They have warned of intensifying their 'jail bharo' agitation and launching large-scale protests if their demands are not met.

The fresh deadline comes after two rounds of discussions held on Tuesday by Public Works Department Minister and Belagavi District In-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi failed to resolve the deadlock between sugar factory owners and farmers.

Amid growing tensions, Jarkiholi is scheduled to hold another round of talks with sugar factory owners on Wednesday in an effort to reach a settlement.

The meeting is considered crucial as farmer leaders have made it clear that they will not withdraw their agitation without a satisfactory price announcement. Sugar factory owners have reportedly offered Rs 3,500 per tonne, but farmers have rejected the proposal.

The farmers are demanding Rs 4,500 per tonne from sugar factories, along with an additional Rs 1,000 per tonne as subsidy from the state government, taking their total demand to Rs 5,500 per tonne.

Farmer leader Choonappa Poojari said repeated meetings would serve little purpose without a concrete decision. Rejecting the factory owners' offer, he reiterated the demand for a Rs 1,000-per-tonne government subsidy.

He warned that the government would face intensified protests if it continued to ignore the farmers' demands. He also threatened a major agitation during the upcoming winter session of the Karnataka Legislature if the issue remained unresolved.

The agitation has also gathered momentum in other parts of Karnataka, including Mysuru and Mandya districts.

In Mysuru, protesting farmers attempted to enter the deputy commissioner's office, while in Mandya, sugarcane growers joined hands with Kannada activists to stage a demonstration outside the Deputy Commissioner's office. Protesters raised slogans against both the state and central governments.

The agitation has been intensifying over the past several weeks, with farmers organising padayatras, highway blockades, protest marches and demonstrations across the state.

Earlier, protesters blocked the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway for more than 30 hours to press for higher prices for their produce.

A meeting held on 26 October at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, involving government representatives, sugar factory owners and farmer leaders, also failed to break the deadlock.

During the discussions, the government had urged sugar factories to offer an additional Rs 250 per tonne to farmers. However, several factories reportedly failed to implement the proposal.

Apart from the immediate demand for Rs 5,500 per tonne, farmer organisations are seeking a broader overhaul of the sugarcane pricing system.

Their demands include increasing the minimum selling price of sugar from Rs 31 to Rs 60 per kg, revising the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane, ensuring payments within 14 days and introducing a comprehensive sugar policy.

As part of their 'jail bharo' campaign, farmers have already staged demonstrations wearing T-shirts bearing the slogan 'Prisoner Number 5,500', highlighting their demand for Rs 5,500 per tonne. They also marched towards Hindalga Central Prison in Belagavi.

Farmer organisations are planning a major convention in Bengaluru on 6 November, followed by further mobilisation at the village level.

Leaders have warned that an en masse jail bharo movement could be launched if the government fails to announce a satisfactory decision. They have also indicated that the protests could intensify during the upcoming winter session of the state legislature.

With the 1 pm deadline approaching, Wednesday's meeting between Jarkiholi and sugar factory owners is being closely watched. The government faces the challenge of bridging the gap between the factories' offer of Rs 3,500 per tonne and the farmers' demand of Rs 5,500 per tonne to prevent further escalation of the agitation.

With IANS inputs