BANGALORE: Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene asked farmers to be ready for an agitation from November 3, if the state government fails to offer a remunerative price for sugarcane. Addressing the media here on Tuesday, Sangha president Kodihalli Chandrashekar accused the government of dilly-dallying over fixing scientific price for sugarcane on par with neighbouring Maharasthra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The cane growers of Mudhol in Bagalkot district are on indefinite strike for the past three weeks urging the government to announce new price for sugarcane. The management of private sugar mills had registered cases agaisnt 24 agitating farmers. Now, the 24 farmers are lodged in judicial custody. Chandrashekar said farming has become expensive due to steep hike in the prices of fertilisers, seeds and other materials. “The government failed to check the spiralling prices of agricultural materials, which had resulted in high cost of cultivation with less returns. While the cost of production of one quintal of paddy is Rs 1,600, the government offers Rs 1,030 per quintal. The prevailing price for paddy is only Rs 750 per quintal,” Chandrashekar added. He said farmers were put into hardship and were also harassed by most of the private sugar mills, and added, need of the hour was to launch an united struggle to demand remunerative prices for agricultural produces. Kannada Rajyotsava awardee Basavaraj Tambake, also a farmer, warned that the proposed stir would be aggressive and the state government will be held responsible for the consequences of the protest.
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