Sericulture farmers launch indefinite stir at Ramanagaram

They want import duty on silk increased to 30 per cent

Sericulture farmers from across the State staging a protest outside the Government Cocoon Market in Ramanagaram on Monday.

Seeking fulfilment of their various demands, the sericulture famers from several districts on Monday launched an indefinite agitation outside the Government Cocoon Market at Ramanagaram.

Vehicular movement on the Bengaluru–Mysuru Highway was disrupted for a while with hundreds of protesters blocking the road.

Members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), Reshme Krishi Hitarakshana Vedike, Hasiru Sene, Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha and various Kannada and Dalit organisations participated in the protest.

Import duty

Their main demand was that the Union government should increase the import duty on raw silk from the current 10 per cent to 30 per cent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had recently reduced the import duty on silk from 15 per cent to 10 per cent, which had been encouraging the weavers to buy cheap quality raw silk from China, C. Puttaswamy, State coordinator of the Reshme Krishi Hitarakshana Vedike, told

The Hindu.

According to him, the price of cocoons had come down drastically from Rs. 400 a kg. to Rs. 120 a kg. because of the reduction in import duty.

Special package

The protesters raised slogans against the Union government and demanded that a special package be announced for sericulture sector. Sericulture farmers had been suffering from huge losses due to the anti-farmer policy of the Union government. With the Union government ignoring the sericulture farmers, it was up to the State government to initiate immediate steps to announce and release at least Rs. 100 a kg. of cocoons as bonus, Mr. Puttaswamy said.

The farmers also demanded a special package for protecting the interests of sericulture farmers by the Union or the State government.

Meanwhile, K.S. Puttannaiah, KRRS leader and Melkote MLA, visited the protest venue and expressed solidarity with the protestors.

The sericulture farmers have decided to continue their protest and stage a dharna in front of the Government Cocoon Market at Ramanagaram and by blocking the Bengaluru-Mysuyru Highway until their demands were met. Chandrashekaranatha Swami of Vishva Vokkaligara Samsthana, Annadana Mahanteshwara Swami, Keeranagere Jagadish, Kumaraswamy, G. Mahendra, Vasu and others were present.

Fall in silk price attributed to reduction of import duty from 15 per cent to 10 per cent

Protesters seek a special package for sericulture sector