Farmers of Sakleshpur taluk have urged the State government to fix minimum support price for agricultural produce.
The farmers, under the banner of the Hassan District Planters’ Association, on Saturday told T.N. Prakash Kammaradi, chairman of Karnataka State Agriculture Prices Commission, that the farming community would survive only if growers get at least 50 per cent of the production cost as profit.
Mr. Kammaradi was in Sakleshpur for an interaction with growers. During the meeting, the federation submitted a memorandum stating that many had stopped cultivating paddy because they were not sure of good returns.
Cost of production
The growers argued that cost of production for paddy in one acre would be around Rs. 30,700. In one acre, a farmer can get around 12 quintals of paddy. The returns for crop produced in one acre would be around Rs. 14,000.
“We will be losing more than Rs. 16,000 per acre by cultivating paddy. What is the purpose of cultivating paddy, when we are sure of registering loss,” argued K.B. Krishnappa, president of the Hassan District Planters’ Association. Mr. Kammaradi, addressing the farmers, stressed the need for a legislation to ensure profitable income for farmers.
“Farmers should get at least 50 per cent of the cost they invested in the form of income. Then only the farming community can survive. Now, farmers are not getting even 20 per cent of what customers are paying for agriculture produce in the market. We need to keep middlemen off the agriculture markets,” he said.
Losing interest
Further, he said farmers were gradually losing interest in cultivating paddy, potato, vegetables and fruits. “If this continues for next 10 years, some crops may vanish from our land. There is a need to promote cultivation of these crops,” he said.
Planters’ association president K.B. Krishnappa, vice president H.T. Mohan and many planters were present.
Farmers should get at least 50 p.c. of the cost they invested in the form of income.
T.N. Prakash Kammaradi
Chairman of Karnataka State Agriculture Prices Commission
