Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has invited Karnataka’s sugarcane growers to Delhi for discussions on their demand for a higher Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), as farmers prepared to march towards his residence and office in Hubballi on Tuesday. Joshi said the Centre was ready to hear their grievances and urged them to pursue talks instead of street protests.
The protest was planned by the Karnataka State Raitha Sena, whose members are seeking a remunerative price for sugarcane and implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. The planned march in Hubballi placed the issue directly in Joshi’s constituency and came as farmers sought further action on the price paid for their produce.
In a video message, Joshi said farmer leaders could come to Delhi at any time for discussions. “I request you to come for discussions with us at any time in Delhi. I once again appeal to you that there is no need for anyone to stage a protest on the streets. If you come, we will discuss the matter with you,” he said.
Joshi, who is the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, said some farmer leaders had met him in February 2026 and requested an increase in the sugarcane FRP. According to him, the Centre raised the FRP by Rs 365 in May. He said the government had been increasing the FRP every year and would continue to do so.
The minister said some farmers may have believed that their request had not been considered because there had been no further discussion with them after the May increase. “I want to humbly tell everyone that, as we do every year, we have done it this year as well. We had received demands from our protesters and from various other quarters, and we acted on them,” he said.
Joshi also said the Centre does not determine the FRP on its own. The process, he explained, includes inputs from a price-fixing committee and recommendations from the state government. He said the state-level Cane Commissioner provides detailed information to the Centre, which takes those recommendations into account while determining the price applicable across the country.
The minister offered to facilitate a meeting between farmer leaders and officials in Delhi. He said representatives who travel to the capital would be received with respect and that their concerns would be heard directly by officials. “If anything more can be done, the Modi government is always open to it,” he said.
The Hubballi protest was therefore set to test whether the Centre’s invitation would lead to direct negotiations with the Karnataka State Raitha Sena. Joshi said the government depended on farmers’ support and cooperation and would take their concerns seriously.
