Sugarcane farmers staged a demonstration on the outskirts of the city on Friday and blocked the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway to register their protest against the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) announced by the Centre with respect to sugarcane.
The Centre announced an FRP of ₹305 per quintal while it was ₹290 for the last season. Also, sugar recovery rate has been increased from 10 per cent to 10.25 per cent which has upset the farmers who said that increase in FRP by jus ₹5 per quintal was an act of betrayal.
Kurubur Shantakumar, president, Sugarcane Cultivators Association, said the cost of cultivation has increased with the increase in price of fertilizers, pesticides, labour cost etc and the government, though aware of such developments, had effected a marginal increase in the FRP. ‘’This is an eyewash to convey to the public that the government was taking steps to improve the lot of the farmers.’
The farmers were earlier paid the FRP for 10 per cent recovery of sugar. But the recovery rate has now been increased to 10.25 per cent and hence the farmers will suffer additional financial loss on account of this change, he added.
Criticising Karnataka MPs for not raising the issue in Parliament, he said they were mute spectators besides being ineffective in upholding the interest of State farmers.
Addressing the farmers on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway where they staged a demonstration, Mr. Shantakumar said the government has waived loans of industrialists but was not prepared to waive farm loans. The Centre has been claiming that crores of farmers have benefited from the crop insurance scheme. But in reality, it is the insurance companies which have benefitted and the insurance claim amount tends to be paltry given the extent of loss suffered by the farmers, he added.
Mr. Shantakumar said though the country was celebrating 75 years of Independence, the plight of the farmers has been ignored and agriculture was in doldrums as people in rural areas were abandoning the sector and migrating to cities in search of alternative jobs. This, he warned, would have an impact on the food security of the country.
Meanwhile, the association has said that a major rally has been planned in Delhi on August 22 and farmers from Karnataka too would take part in it and lay siege to Parliament.
