Belagavi, Karnataka: A group of farmers from Bagalkot met with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru, urging an immediate increase in the relief amount for crop losses, reports The Hindu.
The delegation, led by Minister R.B. Thimmapur, highlighted that the current cost of cultivation, as estimated by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, is around ₹40,000 per acre, which is lower than the estimates in neighbouring states.
The farmers pressed for an increase in the relief amount to ₹1 lakh per acre for sugarcane and ₹50,000 per acre for other crops. They argued that this adjustment is necessary because the Department of Agriculture uses the current cost estimates as the basis for distributing crop loss relief.
The delegation pointed out that crops across around 35,000 hectares, including sugarcane, have been severely damaged over the past four years due to floods in the Ghataprabha and other rivers.
In response, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured the farmers that he would discuss their demands with his cabinet ministers and arrive at a decision.
