Mysuru: Kurubur Shanthakumar, the president of the Federation of Karnataka State Farmers’ Association, asserted that approximately 30 per cent of sugarcane farmers in district were considering giving up cultivation. They are upset not only due to the failure of sugar factories to pay the additional ₹150 per tonne fixed by the State government last year but also because neighboring district sugar factories are offering higher prices for their produce, reports The Hindu.
Shanthakumar mentioned that sugar factories in the neighboring districts of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar were paying ₹100 more per tonne to farmers.
Despite the farmers’ demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mysuru on July 14, demanding water release to irrigation canals and clearance of last year’s dues by sugar mills, their efforts did not yield any result, leading to his lamentation.
He urged the government to ensure that sugar factories do not deduct even a paisa more than the agreed amount of ₹450 per tonne for cutting and transporting sugarcane.
Shanthakumar also appealed to the State government to ensure that cotton farmers who lost their crops receive the insurance amount they are entitled to.
