Kurukshetra mahapanchayat today: cane farmers reject Rs 430, seek Rs 600 a quintal
By Rohit SharmaMarkets Analyst, Peepals Business
Representative image: fietzfotos / Pixabay
Haryana cane farmers meet at a mahapanchayat in Kurukshetra on 5 November 2026 to protest the Rs 430 a quintal state price; unions want Rs 600.
What Happened
Sugarcane farmers from across Haryana are meeting at a mahapanchayat, a large farmers' assembly, in Kurukshetra on Thursday, 5 November 2026, to protest against the state's new cane price. The Haryana government has raised its state advised price (SAP) for sugarcane from Rs 415 to Rs 430 a quintal for the 2026-27 crushing season, with Rs 450 planned for 2027-28. Farmers' unions, led by the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) and the Ganna Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, have rejected the increase as too small and are demanding Rs 600 a quintal.
Key Facts
- Event: a statewide mahapanchayat of sugarcane farmers in Kurukshetra on Thursday, 5 November 2026.
- Organisers: the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) and the Ganna Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, which invited cane growers and union leaders from across Haryana.
- State price: the SAP, the price sugar mills must pay farmers, raised to Rs 430 a quintal for 2026-27 from Rs 415, and set at Rs 450 for 2027-28.
- Farmers' demand: Rs 600 a quintal.
- On the ground: some farmers have started delivering cane to small crushers because they are offering better prices than the mills, according to reports.
- Possible next steps: union leaders have said they could appeal to farmers to stop growing sugarcane from the next season, and that the mahapanchayat would decide the future course of action.
- One quintal is 100 kilograms.
Why It Matters
In Haryana, the price mills pay for sugarcane is set by the state rather than the open market. Every year, the SAP becomes a test of how the government balances farmers' rising costs against what sugar mills say they can afford, given the price at which they can sell sugar.
The gap this year is wide: unions have called the Rs 15 increase meagre. The government's two-step plan, Rs 430 now and Rs 450 next season, is meant to show a path of steady increases, but unions say it is still far below their costs.
If farmers divert more cane to crushers, or reduce planting next year, mills could face shortages of raw material, which would affect sugar output and the jobs that depend on mills in cane-growing districts. A similar standoff in January 2023 ended after the state raised the price to Rs 372 a quintal against a demand of Rs 450, and the union called off its protest.
Peepals calculation: The increase from Rs 415 to Rs 430 is Rs 15, or about 3.6% (15 ÷ 415). The farmers' demand of Rs 600 is Rs 170 above the new price, or about 40% more (170 ÷ 430). Since the 2023 settlement at Rs 372, the price has risen by Rs 58, about 15.6% (58 ÷ 372). For a farmer selling 500 quintals, the latest increase adds Rs 7,500 (500 × 15). Our calculation from the reported figures.
| Item | Rs a quintal |
|---|---|
| SAP 2023 (after protest) | 372 |
| SAP 2025-26 | 415 |
| SAP 2026-27 | 430 |
| SAP planned for 2027-28 | 450 |
| Farmers' demand | 600 |
Impact
Short-term: The mahapanchayat's decision will shape whether protests escalate at mills during the crushing season, and whether more farmers send cane to crushers instead.
Long-term: If unions persuade farmers to cut cane planting next season, Haryana's mills could have less cane to crush in 2027-28, affecting sugar output and mill finances.
Who is affected: Sugarcane growers in Haryana; sugar mills and their workers; small crushers; and the state government, which sets the price.
What to watch next: The decisions announced at the Kurukshetra mahapanchayat on 5 November 2026 and any response from the Haryana government.
Key Takeaway
Haryana's cane farmers meet in Kurukshetra on 5 November 2026 to oppose the state's Rs 430 a quintal price, demanding Rs 600 and warning they may cut cane planting next season.
Questions and Answers
What is the sugarcane price in Haryana for 2026-27?
The state advised price is Rs 430 a quintal for 2026-27, up from Rs 415, with Rs 450 set for 2027-28.
What do Haryana's cane farmers want?
Farmers' unions, led by the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni), are demanding Rs 600 a quintal.
Why is there a mahapanchayat in Kurukshetra?
Unions called the 5 November 2026 mahapanchayat to decide their next steps against what they call a meagre price increase, including whether to urge farmers to stop growing cane next season.
What is the state advised price?
It is the minimum price that sugar mills in a state must pay farmers for their sugarcane, fixed by the state government each season.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Rohit Sharma, Markets AnalystCovers Markets Watch and more for Peepals Business. All stories by Rohit Sharma
altM gets $10.3 million to turn crop waste into industrial chemicals
Marico share price jumps up to 8% as Parachute volumes hit 22-quarter high
Get the day's stories in your inbox
Peepals Weekly: the week decoded, free. One email a week, unsubscribe in one click.
Rohit Sharma is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
