Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network — Mangalore (DV)
Mangalore, Jul 16: A meeting of farmer leaders and officers on the problems faced by farmers was held at the DC office on Tuesday July 15.
“Farmers face problems when they approach the banks for agricultural loans,” said Ravikiran Punacha, working president, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha.
“Though the market price of arecanut has increased now, from 2001 to 2014 areca growers have suffered a huge loss. From the last two years, arecanut cultivation has been spoiled due to heavy rains. In Karnataka, 15 districts produce areca while Dakshina Kannada and Shimoga produce 52 percent of the arecanut crop in the state. Various small and medium areca growers are still in loss,” he added.
Punacha added that small and medium farmers are facing difficulties in obtaining loans from banks and co-operative societies.
Due to the yellow leaf disease, areca growers are in distress. In the regions of Sullia and Sampaje, 60 percent areca plantations have succumbed to yellow leaf disease.
Punacha informed that in some instances, we also find some farmers who have taken loans from banks claiming it to be for agricultural purposes, but instead deposit it in commercial banks for more interest.
When Punacha demanded establishment of the Areca Development Board, Yogish Kumar from horticulture department said, “There are research centers in the state and it is upto the union government to form such a Board.”
He also said that the government has asked for a report on yellow leaf disease and it has already been sent.
“In various instances, when farmers delay repayment of the agricultural loan obtained from the commercial banks, they publish the photographs of farmers in newspapers. If this continues and anything happens to the farmers’ family, the organization will not stay silent,” added Punacha.
Responding to this, the chief manager of a leading Mangalore bank said, “No banks can publish farmers’ photographs in the newspaper if they delay in repaying the agricultural loan. In some instances, this has happened by mistake, but it will not be repeated.”
Farmers also said that in Kerala, the government provides incentives to the paddy growers. Hence, the state government should also provide packages for the paddy growers in the state. In the district, paddy cultivation is declining.
Kempe Gowda of the agriculture department said that he will bring it to the notice of the government.
In the meeting, various problems like quality of copper sulphate and others issues were discussed.
Deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim, ZP CEO Tulasi Maddineni, Yogish Kumar from horticulture department and ADC Sadashiva Prabhu were present.