BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urgently seeking an appointment to discuss the escalating crisis and the eight-day-long agitation by sugarcane farmers in North Karnataka districts, including Belagavi, Bagalkote, and Vijayapura.

The CM asserted in his letter that the fundamental levers to resolve the issue lie with the Central Government's policies, not the state's.Also Read; BIHAR POLLS 2025: PHASE I REGISTERS HISTORIC 64.66% TURNOUT, HIGHEST IN DECADES

Core of the Crisis: FRP Deductions

The core of the farmers' protest is their demand for a net price of ₹3,500 per tonne for sugarcane, after all deductions.

* Central FRP vs. Farmer Payment: The CM highlighted that while the Central Government's Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for the 2025-26 season is ₹3,550 per tonne (at 10.25% recovery), the mandatory deduction for Harvesting and Transport (H&T) charges (ranging between ₹800 and ₹900) reduces the effective payment to the farmer to as low as ₹2,600 to ₹3,000 per tonne.

* Unsustainable Cultivation: Siddaramaiah noted that sharp increases in input costs (fertilizers, labour, irrigation) have made the current pricing structure "economically unsustainable" for cultivators.Night Wear for Men,Men's Pyjama Set 122

📝 CM's Request to the Union Government:

In his communication, CM Siddaramaiah requested the Union Government to immediately enable:

1. A central notification allowing states to fix or endorse a net price to farmers after H&T, or mandate that mills absorb H&T costs to make the ₹3,500/tonne net price feasible.

2. Revision of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar above the current ₹31 per kg.

3. Granting a calibrated export window for sugar and increasing ethanol allocation and assured procurement from Karnataka's sugar-based capacity.

📢 State Action Amidst Intensifying Stir

The CM acknowledged that despite multiple rounds of discussions between the state government, farmers, and mill owners, the agitation has intensified, with farmers threatening highway blockades.

* Local Intervention: The Belagavi Deputy Commissioner has advised mills to pay between ₹3,100 to ₹3,200 per tonne (excluding H&T) based on recovery rates, but farmers remain dissatisfied.

* CM's Plan B: Following the Cabinet meeting, CM Siddaramaiah announced a meeting with both sugar factory owners and farmer leaders in Bengaluru today (Friday, November 7) to seek an amicable solution before the crisis spirals further.

The state government is urging the Prime Minister to intervene, asserting that the necessary policy changes to resolve the long-standing sugarcane pricing issue can only be delivered by the Centre.