K.S. Puttannaiah, MLA and leader of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), said on Wednesday that food production had come down in the State by over 10 lakh tonnes in the last two years. He said there would be “a serious food shortage” across the country in the next 10 to 15 years if the government fails to encourage agriculture comprehensively.
Mr. Puttannaiah told reporters that farmers are being discouraged by poor remunerative prices and were now migrating to urban areas seeking jobs. Many farmers have already sold their cultivable lands and migrated, he said. He accused both the State and Union governments of continuing to neglect the interests of farmers, despite a series of farmer suicides across the country.
He called upon the authorities to put in place a system that will allow farmers to get “scientific prices” for their produce. Prices of seeds, fertilisers, insecticides and other agriculture inputs have been enhanced considerably over the years, but that of the produce has not, he said.
He said these issues would be discussed threadbare at a farmers’ meet scheduled to be held in Dharwad on Saturday and Sunday. The MLA also said issues pertaining to strengthening the Raitha Sangha politically would also be discussed at the meet, hinting that the forum could play a crucial role in the upcoming Assembly elections.
