Protesting sugarcane farmers throw slippers at minister Shivanand Patil’s car

BELAGAVI: Protesting sugarcane farmers allegedly threw slippers at Minister Shivanand Patil’s car when he was leaving the protest site in Belagavi on the evening of November 6. The protest by sugarcane farmers demanding a higher price for their produce entered its ninth day in Belagavi on Friday.

The minister met the protesting farmers in Belagavi. Addressing reports of a possible National Highway blockade, minister Shivananad Patil said, “I am here to make an appeal, not to escalate the situation. The power to fix sugarcane prices does not lie with the state government — it is under the jurisdiction of the central government. The Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) is decided by the Centre. The Union Minister for Sugar, who is also from our state, has not yet taken any initiative. The authority and responsibility to resolve this issue rest with the Central Government.”

#WATCH | Belagavi | Karnataka Minister Shivanand Patil meets sugarcane farmers protesting in the state, demanding a higher price for their produce. pic.twitter.com/DM2C3a8u08

— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2025

Earlier, Patil informed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will meet with all sugar mill owners across the state on Friday, and that the final decision will be taken there. “The Chief Minister has convened a meeting with all sugar mill owners across the state on Friday. A final decision will be taken there. Based on that outcome, we will determine how best to extend support to our farmers. The farmers’ protest so far has been sincere, and we will make every effort to strengthen their movement. I will personally visit the protest site”, Patil told reporters.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking an urgent appointment to discuss the “serious situation arising out of the ongoing agitation by sugarcane farmers” in North Karnataka, particularly in Belagavi, Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Vijayanagara, Bidar, Gadag, Hubli-Dharwad and Haveri districts.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah writes to PM Narendra Modi, regarding “urgent appointment to resolve the sugarcane farmers’ crisis in Karnataka.”

“I request for a prompt meeting with you so that we may address these issues in concert for the sake of our sugarcane farming community,… pic.twitter.com/oXNhHlBPtC

— ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2025

The Chief Minister stated in the letter, dated November 6, that, despite the State Government’s sustained efforts to engage both farmers and sugar mill owners in dialogue, the agitation has intensified, and a growing sense of unrest is emerging among the farming community.

Farmers’ unions, meanwhile, have hinted at intensifying their agitation if no concrete decision emerges from Friday’s meeting. The Chief Minister’s review with industry stakeholders is expected to play a decisive role in determining the course of the protest and potential relief measures for farmers. (ANI)