Tractors lined up in front of Godavari Sugar Factory in Bagalkot district on Saturday.
Credit: DH Photo
Bagalkot: After delays, sugar factories in the district have finally begun crushing sugarcane, bringing relief to farmers who had been anxiously waiting to harvest their crops. The 14 sugar factories in the district were scheduled to start operations from October 20. However, due to intense protests in Belagavi district over sugarcane price fixation, the factories’ operations were delayed. Once the State government intervened and announced the price, farmers expressed relief.
Even as factories were about to begin, farmers in Mudhol demanded Rs 3,500 per tonne of sugarcane and staged protests, vowing not to allow factories to start crushing until the price was fixed. This led to the temporary closure of already operating factories like EID Parry and Mellbro. Farmers who had already begun harvesting were left in a difficult situation.
Labourers from Maharashtra and other parts of the State, who had been called to assist in sugarcane transport, were left idle. Thousands of workers sat in the fields without work, while tractor and lorry owners waiting to transport sugarcane were also affected. As the days passed, farmers’ frustration grew. While factories in Bagalkot and Badami started operations, farmers in Mudhol, Jamkhandi, and Bilagi faced continued difficulties, uncertain when they could begin harvesting their cane. Some farmers even started transporting sugarcane to other districts.
The situation worsened after tractors at Sameerwadi’s Godavari Sugar Factory were set on fire, heightening farmers’ anxiety about the coming days of harvesting.
Finally, following mediation by the district in-charge minister, a successful agreement was reached. Farmers with standing sugarcane in the fields were relieved as all 14 sugar factories in the district commenced crushing operations. So far, around 1.4 lakh tonnes of sugarcane have been crushed.