DK Shivakumar Seeks Modi's Help to End Sugarcane Protests
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi's urgent intervention to resolve sugarcane farmers' protests and address federal pricing demands.
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 19, 2026, requesting urgent federal intervention to resolve sugarcane farmers' protests in North Karnataka. The unrest has included road blockades and padayatras toward Hubballi to gherao the residence of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, which has delayed the crushing season and caused losses in cane weight and sugar content.
Shivakumar urged the Government of India to address five core demands, including revising the sugar Minimum Selling Price from 2019 levels, establishing separate MSPs for domestic and commercial sugar, and restoring the Fair and Remunerative Price base recovery to 9.50%. He also requested a review of ethanol procurement tenders and an increase in cane-based ethanol prices.
While the Government of Karnataka has implemented digital weighbridges and provided additional payments of Rs 100 per tonne to farmers, Shivakumar stated that the core issues fall under federal purview. He welcomed the formation of a Union Government committee led by Ramesh Chand but emphasized the need for immediate decisions to end the unrest.
