The current political drama unfolding in the State has come under flak from a section of the farmers who bemoan that no efforts were on to resolve the agricultural crisis.
The political crisis has taken the focus out of governance and resolving the agricultural problem as a result of which farmers are the worst hit, said Karnataka State Sugarcane Cultivators’ Association president Kurubur Shanthakumar. He said there was delay in implementing the loan waiver scheme. In anticipation, farmers have not closed their loan accounts. “Until the earlier loan account is closed, banks will not sanction fresh loans and in the current impasse it is the farmers who are the worst affected,” Mr. Shanthakumar added.
Sugarcane cultivation in the State has crossed 300 lakh tonnes as on January 31, 2019 and the total amount due to farmers from the sugar mills was around ₹4,000 crore and mounting by the day, the association stated. While the cost of cultivation has gone up, the procurement price does not meet the input cost, say the farmers who have expressed their helplessness over the issue. “The government has fixed the procurement price at ₹2,750 per tonne while the cultivation cost is almost ₹3,000 per tonne,” said Atahalli Devaraj, a member.