T.N. Prakash Kammaradi, agriculture scientist and chairman of Karnataka State Agricultural Price Commission has said that remunerative price for crops cultivated by farmers should be the right of the farmers. “Demanding minimum support price (MSP) compromises the self respect of the farmers who toil hard in the fields and it leaves them at the mercy of the governments. However, if the remunerative price was made the right of the farmers, they can work expecting the good returns for their yields”, Mr. Kammaradi said while addressing a seminar organised here recently.
Houlr Shankar Memorial Committee and Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) have organised the seminar to mark seventh death anniversary of farmers’ leader Holur Shankar. Mr. Kammaradi said Centre and States should jointly take the responsibility of safeguarding interests of farmers while not neglecting the interests of consumers as well.
“Untill a legislation to this effect (remunerative price as a right) was evolved, the MSP should be given the statutory status,” he opined. Any price fixed by the governments should reach directly to the cultivators and it needs political will, he remarked.
All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) joint secretary Viju Krishnan charged the Centre with backtracking on implementation of M.S. Swaminathan Committee recommendations.
Value addition suggested
The farmers should come forward to earn more income by taking up value addition activities to their produces such as mango and tomato, Mr. Viju Krishnan said. Forming cooperative societies is also necessary for achieving welfare of farmers, he added. Horticulture College Dean Nache Gowda, KPRS vice president G.C. Bayya Reddy and spoke.
A word of appreciation for farmers
“The calculation of production cost by the farmers of various crops at the seminar is a good initiative. It has eased the work of the Commission and will be taken in to account while submitting recommendations to the government. No other farmers’ outfit did such a systematic work”. T.N. Prakash Kammaradi Chairman, Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission
