Farmers in Dakshina Kannada have renewed their demand with the State government to set up a monkey park to save their crops from being damaged and eaten up by the simians.
This was one of the demands put forth by farmers during a protest outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner here on Tuesday.
Before gathering there, the farmers led by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Hasiru Sene took out a procession from Ambedkar Circle. The protest was to draw the attention of the government on various issues.
Holding placards, they said that the captured monkeys should be left in the park. Ravikirana Punacha, president, Dakshina Kannada unit of the KRRS and Hasiru Sene, said that crop loss due to monkey attack could not be assessed properly. Many farmers, especially arecanut growers, suffer losses due to their attacks every year.
He demanded that the government set up an arecanut development board on the lines of coffee board for the welfare of growers. The government should fix Rs. 350 per kg as minimum support price for arecanut and Rs. 25,000 as minimum support price for a tonne of coconut. For rubber, it should be Rs. 16,000 per quintal.
