Belgavi: Sugarcane farmers in Belagavi district are facing challenges as the delayed start of the crushing season compounds existing issues such as reduced yields. Although the plantation area has increased to 3 lakh hectares from 2.8 lakh hectares last year, the delays threaten to lower both the quality and quantity of the sugarcane crop, reported Times of India.
Belagavi is home to 29 of the 76 sugar factories spread across 16 districts in Karnataka. Other major sugar-producing districts include Bagalkot (13 factories), Vijayapura (9), Mandya (5), Bidar (5), Kalaburagi (4), and Haveri (2).
Farmers in Belagavi are facing challenge this year. Heavy rains in late November have delayed the harvesting process, leaving farmers waiting for the land to dry before they can begin. Sandeep, a farmer from Chikodi, said, “Even in the fourth week of November, the rain is not giving us a break. We are waiting for the land to dry up for harvesting. The sugar factories in Belagavi are expected to start in the first week of December.”
Additionally, the ongoing assembly elections in neighbouring Maharashtra have further complicated the situation. Every year, around 1,300 groups of workers from Maharashtra arrive in Karnataka to help with the sugarcane harvest. Due to the elections, these workers are unavailable this season, raising concerns among farmers about the impact on yield.
The ongoing delay in the sugarcane crushing season is affecting other local industries, including jaggery mills in Raibag, Athani, Chikodi, and Belagavi taluk. These mills usually start production once the sugarcane crushing season concludes or run simultaneously, but the delay in sugar mills has also held up jaggery production due to the lack of byproducts.
Sidagouda, a farmer leader, emphasized the need for a price revision before harvesting begins. “We demand that the price revision should be done before sugarcane harvesting. Government weighing machines should be installed in all factories. The wages of harvesting labourers and transport costs should be fixed in advance. Factories must pay interest if they delay issuing bills to farmers,” he said. He also urged the district administration to take strict action against sugar mills that have not paid their dues to farmers.
Shivanagouda Patil, Joint Director of the Agriculture Department, assured that the department is working to address the farmers’ issues and provide the necessary support.
