Mysuru farmers demand bonus of ₹500 a quintal to paddy

Federation of Karnataka Farmers’ Associations president urges State government for paddy bonus and sugarcane incentives, highlighting farmers' issues.

The Federation of Karnataka Farmers’ Associations and the State Sugarcane Growers’ Association president Kurubur Shanthkumar on Thursday urged the State government to consider giving a bonus of ₹500 per quintal to paddy with the steep rise in the production cost.

At a press conference here, after presiding over the coordination committee meeting of the associations at Jaladarshini, he said the bonus of ₹500 per quintal to paddy can be considered on the lines of the decisions taken by the governments in Odisha and Kerala. The same model can be replicated in the State, he suggested.

The meeting also urged the government to direct the district administrations for take steps towards the release of an incentive amount of ₹150 per tonne to the sugarcane supplied to the sugar factories.

He also urged the MPs to bring pressure on the Centre for bringing suitable changes in the policies framed with regard to the recovery of farmers’ loans.

The farmers also sought immediate intervention of the RBI to crack down on the private finance companies and banks for alleged harassment in the name of loan recovery.

He said the farmers’ convention has been planned in October this year to highlight the farmers’ issues.

The meeting said the farmers from the State and other States in the south had fought for the minimum support price for the farm produce. Therefore, the farm experts from the south can also be included in the committee constituted to look into the demand of farmers from Punjab and Haryana, he urged.