Fresh talks fail to break deadlock
The dispute over sugarcane prices in Kolhapur continued after a meeting between farmer organisations and sugar mill owners failed to produce an agreement on Friday. The talks, convened by district Guardian Minister Prakash Abitkar, were aimed at addressing the price demanded by growers and the concerns of mills seeking to begin operations.
Former MP Raju Shetti, who represented the farmers at the meeting, insisted that growers must receive a payment above the Centre-fixed fair and remunerative price (FRP). Farmers have based their demand on the prevailing market prices of sugar, arguing that millers should share the benefit of stronger realisations with cane growers. The continuing disagreement has kept most sugar factories in the district closed amid intense farmer protests.
Abitkar said he would seek fresh financial proposals from the millers detailing the amount they are prepared to pay for cane. Those proposals are expected to form the basis for another round of negotiations, with the minister attempting to find what he described as a “golden mean” between the two sides. No settlement was reached at Friday’s meeting.
“We expect the guardian minister to find a solution within a couple of days. However, we remain firm on our demand and will not allow sugar cane harvesting or transportation to the mills until a decision is reached,” Shetti said.
Harvesting and transport remain blocked
The farmers’ position means that harvesting and movement of sugarcane to factories will remain suspended until a price decision is taken. Millers, however, have urged farmer groups to permit factories to function, maintaining that prolonged closure is affecting cane cutters who have travelled long distances after leaving drought-hit areas and are currently without an income.
The disagreement therefore extends beyond the price paid to growers. The closure of factories has created uncertainty for the wider cane-cutting and transport chain, while millers are seeking the resumption of operations. Farmers’ organisations, on the other hand, have made it clear that harvesting and transportation will not be permitted before their payment demand is addressed.
Central panel examines sugar and ethanol demands
The protests have also drawn intervention from the Centre. A committee of experts has been formed to review demands for an increase in the minimum selling price of sugar to ₹50 per kg and the ethanol procurement price to ₹70 per litre. Shetti said the panel was set up after farmers took to the streets over issues that, in his view, should have been raised by the millers.
| Issue | Position or timeline reported |
|---|---|
| Cane payment | Farmers seek a price above the Centre’s FRP |
| Sugar price demand | Minimum selling price sought at ₹50 per kg |
| Ethanol demand | Procurement price sought at ₹70 per litre |
| Expert committee visit | Karnataka visit underway; Maharashtra visit scheduled for November 4 |
| Expected Centre decision | Announcement likely by November 20, according to Shetti |
According to Shetti, the experts were on a two-day visit to Karnataka and were scheduled to come to Maharashtra on November 4. He said the committee was expected to submit its report before Diwali, with the Centre likely to announce its decision by November 20. These developments have added a broader policy dimension to the local price dispute, which remains unresolved at the district level.
Millers urged to keep factories closed
Shetti further said that millers in Maharashtra should, like their counterparts in Karnataka, suspend operations until the Centre takes a final decision. His position indicates that farmer organisations are linking the immediate Kolhapur settlement to the pending review of sugar and ethanol prices. For now, Abitkar’s request for written payment proposals from the mills is the next step in the negotiations, while farmers continue to hold their line on cane harvesting and transport.
- Most Kolhapur mills remain shut amid the agitation.
- Farmers are demanding payment above the Centre-fixed FRP.
- Further talks will follow the submission of millers’ financial proposals.
