Mysuru: A delegation of farmer leaders met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Thursday and appealed to him to resolve the challenges faced by farmers, reported The Hindu.
The team, led by Mysuru’s Kurubur Shanthakumar, president of the State Sugarcane Growers’ Association, raised concerns over crop losses caused by heavy rains, low support prices for sugarcane, and pending arrears. They also placed demands related to irrigation and land acquisition.
The delegation urged the government to take up a project to desilt 38,000 lakes across Karnataka to ensure water reaches farmlands.
In view of rising cultivation costs, the leaders demanded that the State fix an additional State Advisory Price (SAP) over and above the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane in 2025–26, said a press release issued here by the association.
They pointed out that the arrears of Rs. 150 per tonne of sugarcane, announced as an additional payment for 2023–24, were still unpaid and sought immediate clearance of dues. The leaders also pressed for a scientific survey of crop damage, with compensation of Rs. 25,000 per acre for rain-fed crops and Rs. 40,000 per acre for irrigated crops.
Along with Mr. Shanthakumar, the delegation included Balloor Ravikumar, General Secretary of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha; Karibasappa Gowda, State president of Hasiru Sene; Attahalli Devaraj, State organising secretary; N.H. Devakumar, State vice-president; Baradanapura Nagaraj, District General Secretary; and several other district leaders.
