Over seventy irate BT Cotton growers threw stones at the Mahyco Seeds Company’s administrative office, ransacked it and damaged vehicles and furniture at the plant at Kamadoda village in Ranebennur taluk on Thursday. The police took several farmers into custody.
The incident happened during a protest by cotton growers who had gathered in front of Mahyco office shouting slogans against the company and the State government.
The protesters from Bellary, Davangere, Tumkur and Haveri districts alleged they had lost their cotton crop due to the ‘low quality’ seeds supplied by the Mahyco. The trouble began when the farmers, trying to enter the office, were prevented by company officials. The farmers then started throwing stones at the building.
Bellary Farmers association president Huseinsab, while addressing the protestors, urged the state government to immediately provide compensation to the cotton growers who lost their crop.
Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha state organising secretary Ravindragouda Patil, farmer leader Manjunath Gowda from Shimoga, K T Nagaraj from Chennageri, Harihar’s Alur Nagaraj and Bullappa Bhavikatti from Gokak also spoke.SP N Shashikumar said about 50 farmers were taken into custody. Action will be taken if Mahyco files a compliant, he said. A case has been registered with Halageri police.