BENGALURU: Arecanut and coconut farmers have warned of launching a protest against the state and Central governments if ‘proper’ support price for their produce is not provided.
Farmers from across the state met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday to discuss this demand.
After the meeting, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president Kodihalli Chandrashekar told reporters that after many years, prices of arecanut and coconut have come down. “Farmers are only demanding the proper support price,” he said.
He said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar has assured them of placing their demand before Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
“Ananth Kumar also assured us of speaking to the Agriculture and Commerce Minister. He will intimate CM Siddaramaiah after the meet. Based on that, we will decide our next course of action and protest,” he said.
Later, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters that the state government would suggest to the Union government to increase the support price of the produce. “In 2012, the state government had recommended increasing the support price for arecanut to `10,800 per quintal. But till date, it is just `7,000 per quintal. If the Union government increases its share, we will support it,” he said.