Farmers suspend march at Hubballi outskirts, set 26 November ultimatum
Sugarcane farmers from north Karnataka on Monday suspended their week-long ‘Hubballi Chalo’ protest after talks with officials and farmers’ representatives at Yarikoppa, on the outskirts of Hubballi, and gave both the Central and Karnataka governments until 26 November to address their demands. The leaders said the protest would be resumed on 27 November if the issues are not resolved and warned they would lay siege to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi’s residence.
Protesters had earlier blocked the Pune–Bengaluru National Highway near Belagavi and were marching on foot towards Hubballi after the Centre formed a committee but did not provide a clear assurance on farmers’ demands. Marching contingents from Haveri and Belagavi reached Yarikoppa — the former arriving around 2 pm and the latter via Tegur — before leaders announced the temporary suspension following discussions with district administrations and police officials.
“Joshi had sought time to consider their demand,” farmer leader Chunappa Pujari said at Yarikoppa Cross, and he urged the state government to hold a meeting of sugar factory owners and farmers’ representatives in Belagavi within four to five days.
Demands and immediate local implications
Farmer leaders listed a set of concrete demands that they say remain unresolved. These include:
- ₹5,500 per tonne as the price for sugarcane
- ₹60 per kg as the minimum selling price of sugar
- A review of the ethanol procurement policy for sugarcane-based ethanol
The suspension is conditional: farmers held consultations with representatives from several districts before deciding to pause the padayatra. Leaders said they would allow the authorities time to convene talks but signalled a rapid resumption of agitation should commitments not be forthcoming.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location of suspension | Yarikoppa, outskirts of Hubballi |
| Deadline given | 26 November |
| Planned restart | 27 November; threat to lay siege to Pralhad Joshi's residence |
| Key price demands | ₹5,500/tonne for cane; ₹60/kg minimum sugar price |
Local governance, logistics and political ramifications
The march and its suspension place Hubballi authorities in a delicate position. Law-and-order agencies must balance facilitation of peaceful protest with ensuring uninterrupted civic life and highway movement. The earlier blocking of a national highway near Belagavi underlines the potential for disruption to freight and passenger traffic across north Karnataka, an outcome of particular concern in an agrarian season when factories move raw material and transporters carry inputs.
Politically, the agitation raises pressure on both Central and state leaders to convert committee-level engagement into firm, time-bound resolutions. The explicit targeting of a sitting Union Minister’s residence changes the stakes: if farmers act on their 27 November threat, Hubballi could see large-scale mobilisation and intensified media and political attention, with implications for local administration and security deployment.
For local farmers and sugar factories, the demands touch market mechanisms — minimum prices for cane and sugar, and ethanol procurement rules — that affect mill economics, cash flows for growers and ethanol blending targets. A negotiated settlement would require coordination among ministries, state authorities and industry stakeholders, including timely meetings as requested by farmer leaders.
Authorities and stakeholders have a window to engage the farmers and avert renewed mobilisation. The timeline now set by the agitators places Hubballi at the centre of a high-stakes negotiation that will test administrative responsiveness and the ability of political representatives to broker a settlement acceptable to growers and millers alike.
