Farmers’ agitation: Karnataka CM convenes meeting on Nov 7; seeks PM Modi's appointment

Bengaluru, Nov 6 (PTI) As farmers' agitation intensified in north Karnataka demanding Rs 3,500 per tonne for sugarcane, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said the Centre decides the Fair and Remunerative Price and not the state government.

The CM announced that he would hold a meeting with farmer leaders on Friday and also sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss issues faced by the farmers.

"The FRP fixation is done by the Centre and not us. Every year, it is done by the Centre. This year too, they did it on May 6," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

"The farmers are misled. Despite the Centre having a greater role in the FRP fixation, the opposition is playing politics. I appeal to farmers not to succumb to the opposition’s statements," he said.

Siddaramaiah said he has convened a meeting on Friday from 11 am to 1 pm with all sugar factory owners in Bengaluru to discuss farmers' agitation and their demand for a higher FRP. His next meeting, from 1 pm, will be with farmer leaders from Haveri, Belagavi, Bagalkote, and Vijayapura.

"I will write to PM Modi to request a meeting. If he gives an opportunity tomorrow, I will meet him in Delhi and explain the farmers' problems and demands," he added.

Subsequently, the CM wrote a letter to Modi seeking an appointment.

Stating that he sympathises with farmers, Siddaramaiah appealed to them not to block highways, saying it would cause inconvenience to the public.

He explained that this year's FRP is Rs 3,550 per tonne, including harvesting and transportation, assuming a 10.25 per cent recovery.

"A 10.25 per cent recovery means 10.25 kg of sugar is produced from 100 kg of sugarcane. If the recovery is higher, Rs 3.46 additional should be paid for every 0.1 per cent increase. If it is less than 10.25 per cent, Rs 3.46 can be reduced for every one per cent reduction, down to a minimum of Rs 3,290.50 per tonne at 9.5 per cent recovery," he said.

"The Centre has decided it, not the state government. The state government can only implement it and ensure that farmers get their price," Siddaramaiah added.

He also pointed out that for the entire country, only 10 lakh metric tonne of sugar are allowed for export, whereas Karnataka alone produces 41 lakh tonne.

He alleged the Union government’s ethanol policy also affects the state’s farmers. "In Karnataka, 270 crore litres of ethanol are produced, but the allotment for us was only 47 crore litres. This is a clear example of the game the Centre is playing with Karnataka's farmers," the chief minister claimed.

The state government has decided to set up physical weighing machines at 11 locations and called for tenders at eight more, he said.

A committee has also been formed to examine measurement, harvest, and billing procedures, Siddaramaiah added.

According to him, Karnataka crushed 522 lakh metric tonne of sugar in 2024-25, while figures for this year are yet to be finalised.

Reacting sharply, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi accused Siddaramaiah of "lying and indulging in petty politics." "The chief minister has lied in the press conference. In 2025-26, Karnataka's allocation of ethanol was 116.31 crore litres. Of this, 90 crore litres are sugarcane and sugarcane-related," Joshi said in Bengaluru.

The average sugar recovery in Karnataka is 10.5 per cent, he said. Accordingly, the FRP is Rs 3,636 per tonne, while farmers have demanded a minimum of Rs 3,500 per tonne, he added.

He said farmers' main grievance is the higher deductions for harvesting and transportation.

"First, solve the problem of farmers instead of blaming the Centre directly. I am telling the CM to give up (your petty) politics. The Centre has done its duty diligently," Joshi added. PTI GMS SSK GMS SSK KH