Pralhad Joshi Holds Midnight Talks With Sugarcane Farmers; Growers to Decide Next Step at Tegur Meeting

HUBBALLI: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi held late-night discussions with sugarcane farmers and their representatives amid ongoing protests over demands related to sugarcane pricing and the sugar industry. The conciliation meeting took place at a travellers’ bungalow in Hubballi, beginning at 1:15 AM on Monday and concluding at 3:10 AM. Although the minister reportedly assured the delegation that the concerns would receive positive consideration, farmer leaders said a final decision on continuing the agitation would be taken after consulting the wider farming community.

Farmers Present Key Demands

Farmer leader Choonappa Pujari presented several demands during the meeting, representing the concerns of sugarcane growers. The demands included an upward revision of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugarcane, the complete procurement of ethanol produced within Karnataka and changes to sugar pricing arrangements.

The farmers also called for separate categorisation of sugar intended for commercial and domestic use, along with an increase in the price of commercially used sugar. They maintain that these measures are important to addressing concerns across the sugar industry and improving the economic position of growers.

Union Minister Assures Consideration of Demands

Responding to the farmers’ representatives, Joshi reportedly said the Centre was positively considering the issues raised during the discussions. He assured the delegation that the demands would be placed before a central committee tasked with examining the concerns and working towards a possible solution.

According to the account provided, the committee was expected to begin its work within the following two to three days. The minister also appealed to the farmers to cooperate with the process, noting that reaching a lasting resolution could require additional time.

Farmers to Meet at Tegur to Decide on Agitation

Following the midnight meeting, Pujari announced that a gathering of farmers had been scheduled at Tegur in Dharwad district for 11:00 AM on Monday. The meeting would provide an opportunity to share the discussions with the wider farming community and gather opinions on the government’s assurances.

Pujari said the farmers would review the outcome of the conciliation talks before collectively deciding the next course of action. The future of the ongoing protest would therefore depend on the response of the farming community after being briefed on the discussions with the minister and officials.

Senior Leaders and Officials Attend Talks

The meeting was attended by MP Jagadish Shettar, MLAs C. C. Patil, M. R. Patil and Mahesh Tenginkai, along with Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan, Dharwad Deputy Commissioner R. Snehal, CID DIG Bheemashankar Guled, Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Bhushan Borase and Dharwad Superintendent of Police Gunjan Arya, among other officials.

The midnight talks have opened a channel for further discussions between the government and sugarcane growers. The outcome of the Tegur meeting is expected to determine whether the protest continues or farmers agree to await further action on their demands.