HUBBALLI: Thousands of sugarcane farmers, led by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangh and Hasiru Sene, staged a massive protest at Rani Chennamma Circle on Tuesday, demanding an increase in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane and the full implementation of the Swaminathan Committee recommendations.
The protesters also rejected Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's invitation to visit Delhi for discussions on their demands.
Sugarcane growers from different parts of the state and those from neighbouring states took part in the protest. Members of Shetkari Sanghatana of Maharashtra, led by its leader Raju Shetti, were also there in protest. Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi came under severe criticism for not being in the city despite knowing the farmers are protesting, raising their legitimate demands.
The protesters demanded that the minimum price for sugarcane be fixed at Rs 5,500 per tonne and that the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) be revised. They also sought scientifically determined prices for agricultural produce, and implementation of the long-pending Mahadayi project.
Farmers' leader Shashikant Guruji, under whom the agitation is going on, said they would stick to their demand until the Union government meet them and continues the agitation. Since the support price of the sugarcane has not been increased for the last nine years, it should be doubled. Also, procurement of ethanol should be done as is practised in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
Lashing out at Minister Joshi's video message on social media to invite the sugarcane growers to come to Delhi to discuss the issue, Shashikant said, they are not the BJP workers to follow the minister's diktat. He (Joshi) should come to the protest site to listen to their demands and should assure fulfilling them, swearing in the name of Siddaroodha Swamiji. Stating that "If the minister gives respect to us, we will respect him", he warned that if Joshi fails to come by evening, they will change their agitation style later,
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene state president Chunnappa Pujari said sugarcane farmers were not receiving prices commensurate with the rise in sugar prices and production costs. According to Pujari, it costs around Rs 4,500 to cultivate one tonne of sugarcane, while farmers are receiving inadequate returns. He demanded an increase in the FRP and sought better prices for sugarcane and sugar.
Pujari also raised the issue of ethanol procurement, alleging that while ethanol is being procured at higher levels in states such as Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, procurement in Karnataka remains comparatively low. He demanded that the government ensure 100 per cent procurement of ethanol from the state's producers.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha secretary Vidyasagar alleged that successive governments had failed to fulfil promises made to farmers. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier promise of doubling farmers' income and implementing the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, he said fertiliser prices had increased while farmers continued to struggle with rising cultivation costs. Vidyasagar also demanded a complete loan waiver for farmers and said the government should ensure remunerative prices for agricultural produce.