Farmers from across the State will stage a demonstration opposite the Vidhana Soudha on December 8 to register their protest against the new farm laws on the grounds that it has a negative bearing on agriculture and the farming community.
This was stated by Karnataka State Sugarcane Cultivators’ Association president Kurubur Shanthakumar here on Wednesday.
The association cited the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 as being inimical to the farming community. It would result in the government withdrawing Minimum Support Price (MSP), which will leave farmers at the mercy of the vagaries of the market price fluctuation, according to the association.
Mr. Shanthakumar said the farmers are being misled by the government on the issue and wanted the “anti-farmer” laws to be rescinded.
The Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) fixed by the government for 2020-21 per tonne of sugarcane produced, was also flayed by the association. It said the cost of cultivating 1 tonne of sugarcane was ₹3,050 as per a technical committee appointed by the government itself. Yet, the FRP has been fixed at ₹2,850 per tonne based on a 10% sugar recovery and farmers will incur additional loss, said Mr. Shanthakumar.
Association members also accused sugar mills in the State of fudging the sugar recovery rate to deny farmers a higher rate in case the recovery was in excess of 10%.
