Centre names Ramesh Chand panel to examine sugarcane growers' price demands

The Centre on Wednesday set up a committee led by agricultural economist Ramesh Chand to examine the grievances of sugarcane growers, after farmers from Karnataka and Maharashtra took their demands for a better price to Union ministers in Delhi.

Chand was a member of NITI Aayog from 2015 to 2026 and earlier headed the ICAR’s National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research and served on the Fifteenth Finance Commission. The other members are the Agriculture Commissioner and two joint secretaries, one handling sugar in the food ministry and one handling legal metrology in the consumer affairs department.

What the panel will study

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said the committee will review the demand for a higher cane price that gives growers a remunerative return over their costs, and the demand to revise the ex-mill minimum selling price of sugar. It will also examine how mills test and report sugar recovery, how cane is weighed and how weighbridges are calibrated and inspected, and the deductions mills make from the weight of machine-harvested cane and what those deductions cost farmers.

The panel can consult farmer groups, mill associations, state governments and experts. It has been asked to report “as early as possible”, with no fixed deadline.

Behind the move

The decision follows weeks of agitation in north Karnataka. At a protest in Hubballi on 29 September, farmer unions demanded a cane price of ₹5,500 a tonne for 2026–27 and a higher selling price for sugar. Food Minister Pralhad Joshi had invited them to Delhi, writing on X: “If you come to Delhi, we will hold discussions with you.” He has pointed out that the Centre raised the fair and remunerative price to ₹365 a quintal in May.