Sugarcane farmers across Karnataka sharply escalated their statewide agitation on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, with protesters attempting to lay siege to the Deputy Commissioner's office in Mysuru and launching a 'Jail Bharo' protest in Belagavi, demanding a procurement price of ₹5,500 per tonne. The farmers also called on the Centre to nearly double the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar from the existing ₹31 to ₹60 per kg.

Siege Attempt in Mysuru, Blockades on Key Highways

In Mysuru, agitating farmers attempted to force open the gate of the Deputy Commissioner's office, but were stopped by police. Undeterred, protesters blocked the road outside the premises, pushed against police barricades, and erected their own barricades to halt traffic. The demonstration intensified as farmers set up camp on the road and even prepared meals there, signalling a determination to sustain the protest.

The agitation rippled across the state, disrupting movement on several arterial routes — including the Mysuru-Ooty National Highway and the Pune-Bengaluru highway — as well as roads across Belagavi, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Dharwad, and Haveri districts.

'Jail Bharo' March in Belagavi

Thousands of farmers affiliated with the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene joined a 'Jail Bharo' march in Belagavi after deadlines issued to the state government and sugar mills to announce a fair procurement price lapsed without response. Wearing T-shirts bearing the words 'Prisoner Number 5,500' — referencing their price demand — they took out a padayatra from Gurlapur Cross towards Hindalga Central Prison, briefly clashing with police barricades along the route.

What Farmers Are Demanding

State Farmers' Association President Badagalapura Nagendra and State Sugarcane Growers' Association President Kuruburu Shantakumar were among the leaders at the forefront of the movement. Nagendra said the demand for ₹5,500 per tonne is structured as a shared obligation: sugar factories should pay ₹4,500 per tonne while the state government contributes an additional ₹1,000.

Beyond pricing, farmers are also demanding restoration of the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) base recovery rate to 9.5 per cent, payment of cane dues within 14 days, and crop insurance for sugarcane.

Nagendra noted that all major farmers' organisations had united at a meeting in Belagavi on 26 October, resolving to pursue demands jointly under a single platform. 'Every year, farmers are forced to protest against sugar factories. This issue must be addressed and taken to its logical conclusion. If farmers are to remain peaceful, the government must formulate a comprehensive policy,' he said, pressing for a dedicated sugar sector policy.

Escalation Warning and Bengaluru Convention

Nagendra warned that the agitation could take a sharper turn if the state government failed to act on the demands. He announced a massive convention in Bengaluru on 6 November, where tens of thousands of farmers are expected to converge. The movement would subsequently be extended to every village in the state, he said.

This is not the first time Karnataka's sugarcane growers have taken to the streets over procurement prices — recurring annual protests underscore a structural tension between factory-set prices, state support, and the Centre's sugar MSP policy. With the 6 November Bengaluru rally now confirmed, the pressure on the state government to respond is set to intensify further.