VIJAYAWADA: Chairman of the Central Sandalwood Committee Ratan P. Watal on Sunday called upon farmers to remain united and press for policy reforms, stronger security and swift implementation of the committee’s recommendations.
He was addressing the national conference of the Red Sanders and Sandalwood Growers Federation at Gunadala in Vijayawada, attended by growers from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu. Watal said the Central Government had set up the committee to address long-standing challenges faced by sandalwood growers. It examined issues of cultivation, protection, legal hurdles and marketing, and submitted a comprehensive report with practical solutions to Centre.
He assured farmers of his cooperation in pursuing the matter with the government. Federation State President Garapati Purnachandra Rao and Karnataka Farmers Federation President Kempa Reddy Aruna Narayana said theft and smuggling posed serious threats to Red Sanders and sandalwood plantations.
They urged both the Central and State governments to provide adequate security and strengthen policies to safeguard valuable resources.
Farmers from several states shared grievances and sought urgent intervention to resolve long-pending issues related to cultivation and protection.