The Federation of Farmer Organizations and members of the State Sugarcane Growers Union met here on Thursday seeking an increase in the compensation paid for crop loss through the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
The farmers, led by Kurubur Shanthakumar, said the Center should review and increase the compensation paid for crop loss due to natural calamities like rain or floods. Mr. Shanthakumar said that the amount paid at present was paltry and did not even cover the entry cost and mentioned that protests would be held across the state on October 24 in support of their demands.
Mr. Shanthakumar said the NDRF compensation calculated for crop loss due to rains, floods and other natural calamities was not scientific and therefore demanded a scientific review based on the ground situation. The Center should immediately adjust the norms and announce a special package for the farmers of Kalyana Karnataka and North Karnataka who suffered severe crop losses due to the recent floods, he added.
Members of the federation discussed the financial loss suffered by farmers due to incessant rains and wanted the government to waive the crop loan availed by the farmers.
Mr. Shanthakumar said the State Advisory Price (SAP) for sugarcane should reflect the cost of cultivation, which was ₹ 3,700 per month, and this was brought to the notice of the Agricultural Costs and Prices Commission. Therefore, the state government should announce a SAP of ₹ 3,700 per tonne for sugarcane, he added.
Farmers have also questioned the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy, which has been fixed at ₹ 2,369 per quintal by the state government. Calling it unscientific, farmers’ organizations said the government should provide an additional incentive of ₹500 per quintal and open paddy shopping centers immediately.
The federation also announced that the World Farmers’ Day will be celebrated on December 23 in Kalaburagi and will be marked by a state-level farmers’ convention. During the event, 10 farmers will be honored in recognition of their contribution to the agriculture sector.
The meeting was attended by more than 200 farmers, including representatives of Hasiru Sene and other organizations.
Published – 16 Oct 2025 20:51 IST
