'Don't Want To Give Farmers Anything?' Karnataka High Court Refuses To Stay Govt Order Fixing Additional Sugarcane Price
“Without farmers, you are nobody. You don't want to give the farmer anything, you want to manufacture sugar, ethanol, you want to do all the things...and you do not want to share," the court orally remarked.
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday (December 9) refused to stay a November 8 state Government Order fixing additional sugarcane price, over and above the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) fixed by the Central Government for the 2025-2026 sugarcane season 2025-26.
The court was informed that now the new price comes to around Rs 4,300 whereas the FRP itself is Rs 3550.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj said “A request made by learned counsel for petitioner for grant of interim relief is rejected, since I am of the considered opinion that without hearing the respondent interim relief cannot be considered. Relist on December 17".
The counsel for the petitioner, the South Indian Sugar Mills Association (Karnataka) and others argued that “Industry is in such bad shape they are not even able to pay FRP on time. While issuing the order no power is exercised under any of the statutes...Let us pay the FRP immediately then your lordships can consider.”
The court orally said, “Without that farmer you are nobody. You don't want to give the farmer anything, you want to manufacture sugar, ethanol, you want to do all the things, you get all the money that money you do not want to be taken into consideration? Diverting ethanol, diverting it to power consumption, everything you are making money and you do not want to share. We will have to hear them.”
The plea seeks to quash the government order and declare that the State government has no power to announce higher sugarcane price over and above the FRP fixed by the Union of India. By way of interim relief it was sought to stay the impugned Government order.
The plea states that Union of India by a notification dated 05.05.2025 has fixed the sugarcane price at Rs.355- per quintal of sugar cane in other words Rs.3,550/- per MT of sugar cane for the recovery of 10.25% of sugar for the Sugar Season 2025-26 which is inclusive of Harvesting and Transportation charges (H & T Charges' for short).
The farmers in Karnataka started agitations for fixing higher sugarcane price over and above the FRP fixed by the Union of India. They had demanded Rs.3,500 excluding H & T Charges payable by the sugar factories.
In other words, if the farmers demand is accepted then the total cost of the sugarcane price payable would be around Rs.4,400/- per MT by the Sugar Factories with recovery 10.25% recovery which is Inclusive of H&T charges, as against FRP Rs.3550/- per MT of sugar cane which is inclusive of Harvesting and Transportation charges.
It is claimed in the plea that by succumbing to the farmers' agitation, the Government of Karnataka, has issued a Meeting Notice to the Sugar manufacturing units in the State of Karnataka chaired by the Chief Minister and on 07.11.2025.
It is alleged that the Chief Minister forced the Sugar Mills to pay Rs.3,250 per MT excluding H&T charges which comes to Rs 900. Per MT in all the liability will be Rs 4,150/- per MT as against the FRP of Rs. 3550 per MT.
It is argued that the sugar mills repeatedly requested the Chief Minister that they cannot pay the price announced under the notification, which would result in huge losses to the sugar industry.
Case Title: THE SOUTH INDIAN SUGAR MILLS ASSOCIATION (KARNATAKA) & Others AND STATE OF KARNATAKA & Others
Case No: WP 36946/2025
Appearance: Senior Advocate H N Shashidhar, for Advocate H S Suhas for Petitioner.