Beleaguered sugarcane growers in Karnataka have threatened to go on a crop holiday if the State Government does not intervene and help them realise their payments by mid-September. This is even as mills have commenced the new crushing season, mainly in the southern parts of the state, the third largest sugar producer after Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

"Sugar mills in the State owe a total of Rs. 2300 crore to the farmers," said Kurubur Shantkumar, convenor of Cane Growers Association told reporters. He suggested that the State Government make the payments to farmers directly and later recover the same from millers. Further, he demanded that a meeting of the Karnataka Sugarcane Control Board should be convened immediately to fix the cane price for the 2014-15 season, starting October, as crushing has already begun in the state.

Shantakumar said the situation of farmers in the state, who have not received their payments for last 18 months, has turned pathetic and blamed that the Government and mill owners are not serious about resolving the arrears issue. "If the Government does not intervene by September 15, farmers will have to resort to agitation," he warned.

On the other hand, the association is contemplating declaring a crop holiday and will decide on it by mid-September, Shantakumar said. "We are trying to create awareness among the farmers about the alternative crops such as banana, coconut, mango and papaya that are seen more profitable," he said

Sugar production in Karnataka stood at over 4.15 million tonnes, accounting for about 18 per cent of country's output of 24.3 million tonnes.