{
  "id": 13999026,
  "title": "Centre to set up high-level committee within a week to address sugarcane farmers' grievances",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/centre-to-set-up-high-level-committee-within-a-week-to-address",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-12T15:52:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times - Economy",
    "slug": "the-economic-times-economy",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-to-set-up-high-level-committee-within-a-week-to-address-sugarcane-farmers-grievances/articleshow/134897465.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Indian government has announced plans to form a high-level joint committee within the next week to address the concerns of sugarcane farmers from Maharashtra and Karnataka. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Food Minister Pralhad Joshi met with a delegation of farmers and state ministers at the Pusa campus to discuss the issues plaguing the farming community.\n\nThe farmers, who are set to enter the 2026-27 sugarcane crushing season, have been pushing for a higher support price for their produce. Currently, the minimum selling price (MSP) for sugar stands at Rs 31 per kg, but the farmers are demanding an increase to Rs 50 per kg. They have also requested that the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane be raised from Rs 365 per quintal to Rs 550 per quintal.\n\nDuring the meeting, Chouhan emphasized the importance of establishing a transparent, scientific system to prevent mills from infringing upon farmers' rights in the future. The committee will investigate technical aspects such as harvest timing, laboratory testing standards, weighing accuracy, and other critical factors. The panel, which will include representatives from the Centre, Karnataka and Maharashtra governments, farmer organizations, sugar mills, and subject-matter experts, will submit its recommendations within a specified timeframe.\n\nBoth short- and long-term policy decisions will be made, with a focus on administrative reforms and a strengthened scientific framework. The Centre has set the FRP for the 2026-27 season at Rs 365 per quintal, taking into account a basic recovery rate of 10.25%. The committee's recommendations will be crucial in determining the future path of sugarcane farming in the country.",
  "summary": "Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Food Minister Pralhad Joshi held detailed discussions at the Pusa campus with a delegation of farmers from the two major sugarcane-growing states. About 80-90 farmers from different organisations attended, along with state ministers.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}