Bantwal: The Karnataka state farmers association and Hasiru Sene have urged that Paddy cultivation be encouraged through a karavali package on the lines of the Kerala Model. They lamented that paddy, for long the most important crop in Dakshina Kannada, is fast losing its gloss and relevance for farmers of the state.
Addressing a press meet held at Vittal, Farmers association and Hasiru sene president B Shridhar Shetty listed the problems affecting paddy cultivators.
Secretary of the association Manohar Shetty, while answering questions on why farmers here are not cultivating paddy, he said that farmers face problems like unavailability of labour, bad weather condition, transportation and also they do not get any facilities from the government.
State government is providing rice for the poor through Anna Bhagya scheme at Rs 1. Government pays Rs 27 for the rice brought from other states, but it has failed to extend support to paddy cultivators of our own state, he said.
District farmers association comprising of Dayanand Shetty Kuppepadav, Manohar Shetty Kuppepadav, Dhanakeerthi Balipa Moodbidri, Shridhar Shetty Punacha demanded that the president of the price delegation commission Dr Prakash Kammaradi solve the farmers grievances.
They demanded that Rs 2500 should be fixed as minimum price for paddy. Rs 10,000 per acre should be given to paddy cultivating farmers as incentives from Karavali Package Avarthanidhi. Subsidy to use diesel for Plowing machines and harvesting machines should be provided. Paddy cultivation should be added in Mahatma Gandhi Udyoga Khatari yojna. Loan limits should be extended to 25,000 per acre by banks. The cultivated crop should be purchased through Co-operative societies to give fair price, they insisted.
The president assured of opening a research centre at Kankanady science centre to preserve old rice breeds suiting soil in the district.
All the demands of farmers association and Hasiru sene were accepted and the president has agreed to solve the problems soon.
At the press meet Raghav Poojary Hittilu, Vice president of the association and adviser Muruva Mahabhala Bhat were present.
