Farmers led by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) blocked State Highway 23 for two-and-a-half hours in Sindhanur, about 95 kms from here, on Thursday demanding a scientific minimum support price (MSP) for their agricultural produce.
Farmers from all the five taluks of Raichur district and farmers’ representatives from Yadgir, Koppal, Ballari and other districts assembled at Gandhi Circle and blocked it by 11 a.m.
The area is a vital point connecting the city with Raichur, Gangavathi, Koppal, Kushtagi and other major towns and cities and traffic on these routes was disrupted.
The farmers raised slogans against both the Union and the State government for “deliberately ignoring” farmers’ issues.
KRRS president Chamarasa Malipatil alleged that both the governments and the elected representatives were insensitive to farmers’ woes.
“Farmers in the State are going through tough times as the prices of agricultural produce have dropped in the open market. They have already hit hard by drought and flood which have caused low yield. Now, the price crash has further hit them,” he said.
He attacked the State government for not listening to the pleas of farmers despite various protests and he urged all leaders to raise the issue in the Assembly and the council session underway in Belagavi and force the government to set up procurement centres in all APMCs to purchase the crop at the scientific minimum support price.
He demanded a MSP of Rs. 2,200 for a quintal of paddy, Rs. 6,500 for a quintal of cotton, Rs. 6,000 for a quintal of red-gram and Rs. 2,000 a quintal of pearl millet.
Another farmer leader Amaranna Gudihal said,“Successive governments have been responsible for increased suicides of farmers.
It is because of their anti-farmer and pro-multinationals policies that the farmers of the country are either committing suicides or deserting the farming sector once and for all.”
Sindhanur MLA and Congress leader Hampanagowda Badarli visited the site and told the farmers that paddy procurement centres will be established within a day or two.
“The government has set up agriculture price commission and a cabinet sub-committee headed by T. B. Jayachandra. The government will announce MSPs based on the recommendations made by these two bodies,” he said.