Mysuru: On Monday, August 28, a delegation of farmers’ leaders from the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) met with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Mysuru. During the meeting, they urged him to declare a drought in Karnataka. The farmers’ representatives, led by Hoskote Basavaraj, emphasized the urgency of the situation faced by farmers due to inadequate monsoon rains, reports The Hindu.
Basavaraj and his delegation highlighted that the State government has already confirmed that a total of 130 taluks within Karnataka are currently grappling with drought conditions. Given this scenario, the farmers’ representatives pressed for an immediate declaration of drought for the year 2023-24 in the State.
They have also demanded government the higher payment for sugarcane crops citing the rising cultivation costs.
As per news report published in The Hindu, the memorandum submitted by them pointed out that the farmers had taken up sowing in their agricultural fields when it rained last month. However, the crops have already started wilting due to absence of rains this month, causing a huge loss to the farmers.
The memorandum has sought suitable amendments to the Sugar (Control) Order to ensure that the interests of the farmers are protected.
