Sugarcane growers in Mysuru have intensified their demand for a higher price for their produce, calling the current Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of ₹3,650 per tonne “unscientific” and inadequate to cover rising cultivation costs .
A delegation of farmers, led by leaders from the State Sugarcane Growers’ Association, met Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy on Monday and submitted a memorandum seeking fulfillment of their long-pending issues. The farmers demanded that the government fix the price at ₹4,500 per tonne, as recommended by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) report .
‘FRP unscientific, inadequate’
The association has consistently opposed the Centre’s FRP fixation. In May 2026, the Union Cabinet approved an FRP of ₹3,650 per tonne for sugarcane with 10.25% sugar recovery for the 2026–27 season. The State Sugarcane Growers’ Association termed this “unjust,” noting that the Karnataka government had recommended ₹4,450 per tonne based on actual cultivation costs .
“The current pricing could discourage farmers from continuing sugarcane cultivation,” said Attahalli Devaraj, State Organising Secretary of the association. “We demand an immediate revision of the FRP to at least ₹4,500 per tonne” .
Share in byproduct profits
During the meeting with the DC, farmers pointed out that the profits earned by sugar factories from sugarcane by-products—including sugar, ethanol, electricity, and compost—should be shared with the growers .
Although the Centre had fixed an additional ₹150 per tonne for sugarcane last year, the factories have not implemented the revised rate, they alleged. The farmers demanded that the factories pay the pending dues along with interest .
Key demands raised before DC
The memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner included several long-pending issues :
- FRP at farm gate: Farmers argued that FRP should be considered as the price of produce at the farmers’ fields, with harvesting and transportation costs borne by sugar factories
- Weighing bridges: To prevent losses due to “incorrect” weighing, farmers urged the government to establish weighing bridges in front of all sugar factories
- Water for irrigation: Concerns were raised over water availability, with farmers demanding that lakes be filled with water from the Cauvery and Kabini rivers
- Action against illegal resorts: Farmers urged the DC to take strict action against illegal resorts that have cropped up near the Kabini backwaters
Recovery rate concerns
Farmers have also questioned the linking of FRP to sugar recovery levels. The recovery standard has risen from 8.5% in 2000 to 10.25% in 2022. According to farmer leaders, every one-percentage-point hike in the recovery norm effectively reduces the price realized by farmers by about ₹346 per tonne, since most sugarcane varieties grown in Karnataka do not yield uniformly high recovery .
Comparatively, farmers noted that growers in Haryana and Punjab receive over ₹4,000 per tonne, while in Gujarat the rate ranges from ₹4,000 to ₹6,000 depending on the variety. In Maharashtra, it stands at ₹3,650. However, farmers in southern Karnataka districts such as Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, and Hassan bear harvesting and transport costs of ₹900 to ₹1,300 per tonne, leading to losses .
Legal context
The Karnataka High Court has previously declined to stay the State Government’s order fixing an additional sugarcane price over the FRP. In a case brought by sugar mills challenging the State’s authority, the Court observed that the concerns of farmers “cannot be disregarded” and refused interim relief to the mills, directing that the matter be heard fully .
