Karnataka's sugarcane farmers are in the middle of a high-stakes standoff — and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is asking them to hold their nerve while he works every lever available. Speaking on Monday, 26 October 2026, after back-to-back meetings with cane growers and sugar mill owners at Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi, Shivakumar delivered a blunt message: a permanent fix is possible, but it cannot come in a single day. The Chief Minister's Office of Karnataka posted a detailed summary of the proceedings, quoting Shivakumar directly: 'ಕಬ್ಬು ಬೆಳೆಗಾರರ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಶಾಶ್ವತ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಸಿಗುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಅಚಲ ನಿರ್ಧಾರ' — 'Providing a permanent solution to the problems of sugarcane farmers is our unwavering resolve.'

Why the MSP question has Karnataka's mills locked in a stalemate

The immediate trigger is a standoff between two positions that cannot move independently of each other. Sugar mill owners have told the state government they will not agree to higher cane purchase prices unless the Central Government first raises the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar. Without that price signal flowing upstream, mills say they cannot absorb the additional cost. Shivakumar did not dispute that logic — he acknowledged it plainly: 'Sugar factory owners will not agree without a sugar MSP hike.' At the same time, farmers are watching input costs — diesel, fertilisers, and pesticides — climb with no corresponding rise in the price they receive for cane. The CM validated their grievance directly: 'Your demand is not wrong.' The state government had previously worked with mill owners to provide an additional Rs 300 per tonne to growers, but that arrangement is now under strain amid the wider pricing deadlock. Adding to the pressure is the Central Government's directive barring the diversion of sugarcane to ethanol production, which has squeezed mill economics further. Sugarcane yields and sugar output have declined, tightening the revenue base from which mills would have to fund any price increase.

The 29 October committee visit and Shivakumar's multi-front push

The CM outlined a clear near-term sequence. A Central Government-constituted committee is scheduled to arrive in Karnataka on 29 October, and Shivakumar said he will personally appear before it to argue the farmers' case. He ruled out any rushed announcement before that: 'I will not make a hasty decision in a single day. We will discuss with mill owners, officials, the central government and the committee before deciding.' Beyond the committee visit, Shivakumar has already written to the Prime Minister and plans talks with Union Ministers. Crucially, he also signalled an inter-state front: he intends to meet the Chief Minister of Maharashtra to build joint pressure on New Delhi for an MSP revision. His reasoning is economic and urgent — crushing has already begun in Maharashtra, and Karnataka cane being transported across the border would hurt both farmers and the state's own revenue. 'Our cane crop going to Maharashtra should not be allowed. It will cause trouble for farmers and the government,' he warned, urging growers to permit crushing to begin in Karnataka's own mills without further delay.

A personal appeal from Kitturu to Belagavi

Shivakumar reminded farmers that he had already travelled to Kitturu to meet them in a gesture of respect for their agitation — an unusual step for a sitting Chief Minister — and that he had promised then to consult all parties before calling a formal meeting. Monday's session in Belagavi was that promised meeting. 'Your voice will become my voice. I am with you,' he told them, before asking them to extend the same trust in return: 'You must understand my position and the government's position.' The CM's closing question cut to the heart of the political tension: 'When we are on the side of farmers, why the protest?' It is a question that will hang over the next 72 hours — until the central committee lands in Karnataka and the real negotiation begins.