Farmer leaders meet Karnataka CM, demand SAP for sugarcane and relief for crop damage

A delegation of farmer leaders met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Thursday and urged him to address the problems faced by the farming community.

The delegation, led by Mysuru’s Kurubur Shanthakumar, president of the State Sugarcane Growers’ Association, highlighted crop loss due to heavy rains, inadequate support prices for sugarcane, and pending arrears, apart from demands related to irrigation and land acquisition.

They urged the government to formulate a project for desilting 38,000 lakes across the State to ensure water supply to farmlands. In view of rising cultivation costs, the leaders demanded that the State fix an additional State Advisory Price (SAP) over and above the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane in 2025–26, said a press release issued here by the association.

Pointing out that arrears of ₹150 per tonne of sugarcane announced additionally in 2023–24 were yet to be cleared, the delegation sought immediate settlement of dues. They also sought scientific assessment of crop damage, with compensation of ₹25,000 per acre for rain-fed crops and ₹40,000 per acre for irrigated crops.

The leaders also demanded that the farmland acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) but left unused for the last 25 years be returned to farmers.

Welcoming the government’s decision to procure paddy, ragi, and jowar under the MSP scheme, the leaders urged the Chief Minister to include farmer producer organisations (FPOs) in procurement alongside cooperative societies and self-help groups.

Besides Mr. Shanthakumar, the delegation included Balloor Ravikumar, General Secretary, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha; Karibasappa Gowda, State president, Hasiru Sene; Attahalli Devaraj, State organising secretary; N.H. Devakumar, State vice-president; Baradanapura Nagaraj, District General Secretary; and several other district-level leaders.