Farmers, who had come to the Farmers' Contact Centre to purchase soya bean and groundnut at a subsidised price were upset when the agriculture department officials informed them that seeds were in short supply. The enraged farmers first blocked the road and then barged into the centre. Some of them pelted stones at the centre and smashed window panes.
The police who arrived at the scene held discussions with the agriculture officials and arranged to get groundnut seeds which were later distributed.
However, the officials said they could not supply soya bean seeds since they did not have the stock. Farmers complained that the officials were lax in their attitude and blamed the elected representatives for not coming to their rescue.
In another incident the farmers blocked the road near Regal Circle protesting inadequate supply of chemical fertiliser. Traffic on the Dharwad-Savadatti road was disrupted for a while.
Dharwad district has over 200,000 hectares of cultivable land and early onset of monsoon prompted farmers to take to start sowing. Unscheduled rains during February had enabled farmers to prepare for sowing. Keeping the equipment ready, they have performed
