The Federation of Farmers Association and Karnataka Sugarcane Cultivators Association have announced a slew of demands by way of a wish list for inclusion in the State budget for the year 2024-25.
This followed a prolonged deliberation by the farmers in the city on Sunday. Kurubur Shanthakumar, president of the sugarcane cultivators association told mediapersons that the State government should also announce a loan waiver to farmers and provide relief to them.
He also took exception to the sugar mills deducting the harvesting charges from the amount due to the farmers and said that this should be reimbursed back to the farmers.
Mr. Shanthakumar said the arrears due to the farmers from the sugar mills for the year 2022-23 at the rate of ₹150 per ton, should also be cleared so as to help bail them out of financial crisis.
“A ‘Bengaluru chalo’ programme has been conceived by the farmers to press for their demands and it will be held on February 6th,” said Mr. Shanthakumar.
He highlighted a few pro-farmers measures initiated by different States and said that in Telangana the State government was remitting the premium to the extent of insured sum of ₹5 lakh and the Karnataka government too should emulate it.
Mr. Shanthakumar who also heads the Federation of Farmers Association, said minimum support prices for all agricultural produce have been announced by governments in Punjab, Haryana, etc., and the State government should follow suit. He also wanted the government to abolish the limit on procurement set for each individual farmer and follow the policies of other States.
Highlighting the extent of crop failure due to drought, the Association members also demanded ₹25,000 per acre as compensation and flayed the government for releasing water to Tamil Nadu despite water stress in Karnataka.
Calling for reforms in the procurement of agricultural produce, Mr. Shanthakumar said all cereals and millets cultivated by farmers should be purchased by the government at the market rate directly from different farmers’ producers company.
The millets and other agricultural produce could be supplied to various hostels and schools besides government hospitals given their nutrition content, Mr. Shanthakumar added.
Reiterating their long-pending demand for reforms in crop insurance, the association sought insurance cover for all or any crop cultivated by the farmers. At present a few notified crops in each district qualifies for crop insurance and does not benefit the farmers, said Mr. Shanthkumar.
On the disbursal of agricultural loan, the association wanted the banks to make structural changes in their policies and extend loan to the tune of the market value of the land owned by the farmers. Besides, loans to the extent of ₹5 lakh, should be interest-free, the association added.
Other demands included higher allocation in the budget for agricultural sector, pension for farmers over 60 years, tackling human-animal conflict on forest fringes, rollback of GST on agricultural-related equipment, etc. Baradanapura Nagaraj, Amballi Manjunath, Sunil, and other office bearers of the organisation were present.
