KPCC wants Karnataka CM to procure horticulture farmers' produce directly

Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar said the government should procure the produce of horticulture farmers directly as the lockdown was forcing them to sell at a pittance

Drawing attention to the miserable condition of horticulture farmers in the state, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar on Monday asserted that government should procure the produce of horticulture farmers directly as the lockdown is forcing them to sell them at pittance.

Shivakumar reached out to dozens of farmers to interact with them on his two-day tour of Dharwad and Haveri districts.

"Lockdown has forced farmers to sell produce at a pittance. They are given just two hours a day to sell their produce. I demand the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to immediately buy all the produce from farmers including fruits, vegetables and flowers and sell them in the retail market at fixed prices," Shivakumar said in a tweet."Horticulture farmers are being pushed to slow-death. Prices the farmers are getting are too less and inadequate. Above all they have to pass a tedious process to get price of their own produce," Shivakumar said while interacting with the media at Ranebennuru Circuit house.

The KPCC chief said the relief package provided by the state government is insufficient and it had hardly reached a quarter of the farmers.

"Farmers are now facing problems even to buy seeds and fertilizers for the new sowing season that has already begun. How will farmers sustain in such a system that leaves nothing for them? Karnataka government is bent at making agriculture unsustainable at the behest of some private players," Shivakumar said.

He insisted that Congress party will protect the interests of the farmers and the party cadre will do everything possible to get them out of this poor condition.

Shivakumar also said that he will continue his interaction with the farming community in coming days as well.

The KPCC chief said that he was on the tour to review COVID relief efforts made by the party and its workers.

He added that the Yatra will continue and he will tour the entire state and interact with all sections of the society including Asha workers, Anganwadi workers, barbers, auto drivers and hear their grievances.

Shivakumar met street vendors, labourers, and people from the unorganized sector during his ongoing tour of Dharwad and Haveri districts.