A significant number of farmers, united under the Karnataka State Sugarcane Cultivators’ Association, converged in Mysuru on Monday to vocally express their deep-seated concerns. Their primary and most urgent demand was for the government to step in and ensure that a truly fair and equitable price was established for their invaluable sugarcane yields.
Highlighting the ever-increasing costs of cultivation, the protesting farmers emphatically pressed for the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane to be set at a minimum of ₹4,000 per tonne. They also raised serious allegations of deceptive practices during the weighing of their harvested crops. To combat this widespread issue and ensure transparency, they insisted that sugar mills be legally mandated to install visible, verifiable weighing scales directly in front of their factories.
In a comprehensive memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, the farmers meticulously detailed several other critical demands. These included a just share in the substantial profits generated by sugar mills from the sale of sugarcane byproducts. They accused certain private sugar mills of manipulating sugar recovery percentages, a practice that directly and negatively impacts the final price farmers receive for their hard work. To address this, the association called for the immediate constitution of an impartial team to rigorously monitor actual sugar yield and recovery rates.
Furthermore, the farmers voiced their profound distress over a drastic decline in tobacco crop prices. They made an impassioned plea to authorities to facilitate a crucial meeting between the tobacco board and cultivators, seeking urgent relief and strategic solutions to rescue these farmers from a looming financial crisis.
Finally, the agitated farmers also brought crucial attention to the escalating human-wildlife conflict prevalent in villages bordering forest areas. They appealed to the responsible Ministry to significantly increase the often inadequate compensation provided for crop losses and damage resulting from such distressing encounters.