Union Minister and former Karnataka CM hold late-night talks with protesting sugarcane farmers in Hubballi

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar held a late-night meeting with sugarcane growers in Hubballi to discuss demands for a better crop price. The closed-door discussion at the Government Guest House started late on October 18 and ended at 3 a.m. on October 19. Farmers' representative Chunappa Pujeri pressed for three main demands during the session. These included a higher minimum support price for sugarcane, full purchase of ethanol made in Karnataka, and separate pricing for commercial and domestic sugar with a higher rate for commercial use. Mr. Joshi assured the growers that the Centre would view their demands positively and place them before a committee expected to start working in three days. He urged the farmers to cooperate and give the government time to examine their concerns. Following the talks, Mr. Pujeri announced that farmers would gather at Tegur in Dharwad district at 11 a.m. on October 19 to discuss the outcome and decide whether to continue their protest.

Context

Sugarcane growers across various regions frequently press governments for better support prices and ethanol policies to manage production costs and market returns. Such late-night meetings between ministers and farmer leaders are a common way to try and end prolonged protests before major agricultural unions decide their next steps.