Thousands of sugarcane growers from across Karnataka and neighbouring Maharashtra and Telangana staged a massive protest at Kittur Chennamma Circle in Hubballi on Tuesday, demanding remunerative prices for sugarcane and a revision of the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar.
| Photo Credit: KIRAN BAKALE
Thousands of sugarcane growers from across Karnataka and neighbouring Maharashtra and Telangana staged a massive protest at Kittur Chennamma Circle in Hubballi on Tuesday, demanding remunerative prices for sugarcane and a revision of the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar. After appeal by union minister Pralhad Joshi, intervention by local legislators they agree for talks at Delhi, withdraw protest.
After the deadline of 3 p.m. given by them expired, the protesters took out a march towards the residence of Union Minister for Education, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi and some of them managed to break the police barricades and reached his residence to continue the protest.
A video message from minister Pralhad Joshi appealing for talks at Delhi, and efforts to convince the protesting farmers to withdraw the protest continued till late evening as the protestors made it clear initially that they would not go to Delhi and wanted the minister to come and talk to them in Dharwad.
Police Commissioner Bhushan Borase, IGP Northern Range Sandeep Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Snehal R. tried their best to convince them to withdraw the protest till evening. Subsequently MLAs Mahesh Tenginakai and M.R. Patil reached out to the farmers’ leaders convinced them to withdraw the protest promising them that they would take a delegation of 30 farmers to New Delhi to hold talks with the union miniter. They convinced them that as the poll code of conduct was in force, they would not be able to hold the meeting in Dharwad and assured them that the delegation would be taken to Delhi on October 10 and they would bear all their expenses. Consequently the farmers proceeded to Nehru stadium before returning to their respective places.
The agitation was organised led by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene and farmers from the sugarcane-growing regions of Karnataka and the neighbouring states came out in thousands to register their protest and press for their demands. President of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene office bearer Chunappa Pujeri, spiritual leader from Inchageri Mutt of Belagavi Shashikanth Guruji of and others led the protest.
Earlier addressing the gathering at Kittur Chennamma Circle, the farmer leaders demanded that the price of sugarcane be fixed at ₹5,500 a tonne for the 2026-27 crushing season. They also sought an increase in the minimum selling price of sugar from the existing ₹31 a kg to ₹60 a kg.The protesters argued that the Centre had failed to revise the sugar MSP for several years.
The farmers also demanded an increase in the procurement price of ethanol, permission for sugar mills to sell their entire ethanol output, clearance of pending sugarcane dues and implementation of the recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Commission.
After beginning protest at Chennamma Circle in Hubballi, the farmers’ leaders had clarified that they were not satisfied with union minister Pralhad Joshi’s video message and demanded a clear statement on their demand from him by 3 p.m. failing which, they would march to lay seize to his residence. As there was no subsequent message from the union minister, the farmers started marching towards, Mr. Joshi’s residence at Mayuri Estate. As a precautionary measure the police had made installed barricades on the route. However some of angry farmers broke them and marched to his residence, where a huge posse of police prevented them from laying seize to his residence. Another large group of farmers was stopped by the police at Ramesh Bhavan and it took a lot off efforts by the officials and legislators to convince them to withdraw their protest finally.
Traffic congestion
Because of the day long protest and blocking of Kittur Chennamma Circle and other roads, the city witnessed traffic congestions for hours at several alternate roads and the motorists had a hard time reaching their destinations.
Published – September 30, 2026 12:55 am IST
