Karnataka farmers held a protest at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Monday, demanding an agricultural loan waiver, compensation of at least ₹25,000 per acre for drought-hit crops and higher support prices for sugarcane. The protest was organised by the Karnataka State Farmers’ Federation and the State Sugarcane Growers’ Association.
Minister Satish Jarkiholi visited the protest site and assured the farmers that a meeting with farmer leaders would be convened under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah within a week, according to Prajavani. The farmers later submitted a memorandum and a cheque for ₹1,770 to the minister after collecting coins as a symbolic protest against what they described as inadequate government support.
The report said 217 taluks in Karnataka had been affected by severe drought and that crops had been damaged across about 20 lakh hectares. Farmers said they were unable to recover the costs of seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, labour, farm machinery and irrigation after crop failures caused by inadequate rainfall.
The organisations claimed that crop losses had crossed ₹20,000 crore and said affected farm families were facing both livelihood stress and growing pressure from lenders. They demanded that recovery of loans taken by rural women from private finance companies be suspended for two years, with strict legal action against harassment during repayment.
The protesters also sought immediate compensation of ₹25,000 per acre for drought-affected farmers and asked the government to ensure adequate electricity for agricultural pump sets. They said reliable power supply was necessary to protect crops that could still be saved and to support irrigation in areas facing rainfall shortages.
Among the other demands was a review of sugarcane pricing. The farmers asked the Centre to raise the Fair and Remunerative Price, or FRP, for sugarcane to ₹4,500 at a minimum recovery rate of 10.25%. They also demanded that Karnataka introduce a State Advised Price, or SAP, of ₹800 per tonne above the FRP, citing rising cultivation costs and the sharing of revenue from sugarcane by-products and taxes.
The sugarcane growers’ association also called for separate pricing for sugar used commercially and for household consumption. Arecanut growers, whom the organisations said had been affected by falling prices following the gutka ban, were included in the demand for a special incentive scheme.
The protesters further urged ministers and legislators to forgo their salaries and allowances for one year and divert the resulting savings towards drought relief. They also opposed the use of what they described as three crore units of electricity for festive lighting during Dasara, arguing that electricity should instead be supplied to agricultural pump sets.
The minister’s assurance of a meeting within a week is the immediate next step announced during the protest. The source report did not provide details on the proposed meeting’s date, the government’s position on a loan waiver or whether the demands for per-acre compensation, additional sugarcane pricing and private-loan recovery restrictions had been accepted.
