Farmers stage protest in Mysuru seeking upward revision in crop compensation

Scores of farmers from across Mysuru district staged a demonstration in the city on Friday seeking an upward revision in crop compensation claims computed by the authorities.

The protest, led by Kurubur Shanthakumar, president of the Federation of Farmers’ Association, was held in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

Mr. Shanthakumar said that the compensation, calculated for crop loss due to vagaries of nature, has not been revised since the last eight years. The government has no qualms increasing the salaries of MPs, MLAs, and employees, but is adamant about not hiking the crop compensation to match the actual loss suffered by the farmers, he added.

He claimed that all public representatives shed crocodile tears for farmers but offer pittance in return and display no commitment to help the latter to tide over their financial distress.

The farmers submitted a memorandum to the government and demanded that the norms under National Disaster Response Fund be revised and compensation be increased for losses due to floods, excessive rains, and other natural calamities.

According to the farmers, the existing compensation was not only unscientific, but also just a token amount. They sought a minimum of ₹25,000 per acre for rain-fed crops, ₹40,000 per acre for irrigated and horticultural crops, and ₹60,000 per acre for commercial crops as compensation in case of crop loss due to vagaries of nature.

The federation members urged the Centre to revise the NDRF norms which has not been changed for eight years.

Farmers from Kalyana Karnataka and North Karnataka who have suffered crop losses due to the recent rains that resulted in floods should be granted a special relief package of ₹5,000 crore, similar to the one extended in Punjab, said Mr. Shanthakumar.

The federation members said that MPs from Karnataka, including those who are Cabinet Ministers at the Centre, should take up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The farmers also sought a loan waiver given the back-to-back calamities that affected them, either by way of excessive rains or drought.

Other demands included a share in the profits arising out of the sale of sugarcane byproducts by the factories. The farmers also demanded that the State Advisory Price for sugarcane be fixed at ₹3,700 per tonne as suggested by the Agricultural Price Commission. The government must also ensure the payment of an additional rate of ₹150 per tonne as announced two years ago, said the memorandum of demands.

Installation of weighing machines or scales by the government at sugar factories to minimise cheating, resumption of MGNREGA scheme for agricultural works, increase in Minimum Support Price for paddy from ₹2,369 per quintal to ₹2,869 per quintal, including ₹500 as incentive per quintal, were other key demands raised by the farmers.

Among those present in the protest included office-bearers of the federation.