Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 15: Sugarcane crushing operations have been affected in Maharashtra and Karnataka amid ongoing protests by farmers demanding higher cane prices and an increase in the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar, with only 15 of Maharashtra's 55 sugar mills having started operations in the 2026-27 season, while Karnataka's mills remain shut due to the agitation, according to sources on Thursday.
In Maharashtra, 40 sugar mills have performed the customary puja ahead of the crushing season, which generally begins in October, but have yet to commence full-fledged operations because of the ongoing protests, the sources said.
Fifteen mills began crushing operations from October 8 onwards. The sugar produced by these mills is expected to help bring down sugar prices, a source said.
In Karnataka, no sugar mill has started crushing operations for the regular season amid the protests. However, eight of the state's 28 mills are operating during the special season, crushing sugarcane grown for that period, the sources added.
Maharashtra and Karnataka are the country's second and third-largest sugar-producing states, respectively, making the disruption significant for the sugar industry and farmers dependent on the seasonal crushing cycle.
Farmers in both states are demanding higher support prices for sugarcane and an increase in the minimum selling price of sugar to Rs 60 per kg. They have argued that the current prices do not adequately address their concerns.
After farmers threatened to block national highways as part of their agitation, Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held discussions with representatives of key farmers' organisations in New Delhi.
Following the talks, the government decided to constitute a committee headed by former NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand to examine the farmers' grievances and consider their demands.
However, the decision has failed to satisfy the protesting farmers. Farmers' organisations have rejected the committee's formation as a solution to their immediate concerns and have continued their agitation, the sources said.
The government has formally notified the committee but has not specified a clear deadline for submitting its report or implementing any recommendations. The absence of a definite timeline has further angered farmers, who fear that their demands may not be addressed in the near future.
With crushing operations yet to begin across much of Maharashtra and Karnataka, the continuation of the protests could affect the progress of the sugar season in the two major producing states. The immediate focus remains on resolving the dispute over cane prices and the minimum selling price of sugar.