External Affairs Minister S M Krishna assured agitating sericulture farmers, protesting the reduction of customs duty on raw silk, that he would take up their grievances with the ministries concerned.
'Earlier scores of farmers staged a dharna near the house of Krishna, a former Karnataka chief minister, and protested the Central budget’s proposal of lowering the basic customs duty on raw silk from 30 per cent to 5 per cent.
The farmers said the measure would hit them badly.
The delegation submitted a memorandum to Krishna, who promised that he would raise the issue with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran.
The farmers wanted the Finance Minister to roll-back the move during reply to general discussion on the budget.
A leader of the farmers also demanded that the State government buy cocoons at Rs 400 per kg.
The farmers said they are in distress following a steep fall in the price of cocoons in recent days. Karnataka accounts for about half of India’s raw silk production, according to officials.
