Leaders of taluk Janata Dal (Secular) have urged the deputy commissioner to make arrangements to sell pesticides for potatoe crops affected with angamari disease, at subsidised rates.

The leaders stated that most of the potatoe crop cultivated on thousands of acres of land in Chikkaballapur taluk have been affected with angamari disease. The district administration should intervene and solve the problems of the farmers, the JD (S) leaders urged the deputy commissioner, during their visit to the latter on Tuesday.

There are several small and very small farmers in the taluk who cultivate potato crops. And they are not in a position to purchase pesticides. Day by day, the angamari disease is increasing in leaps and bounds. These farmers have invested thousands of rupees on potato cultivation, and today, they are left in lurch. In order to bale the farmers out from this situation, subsidy should be offered on the pesticides, so that the farmers can buy and protect their crops from further damages the leaders appealed.

Artificial scarcity
An artificial scarcity of the pesticides has been created in the taluk. Some of the traders are selling pesticides at double the rate in the black market. Horticultural crops like grapes, potatoes, etc require pesticides compulsorily.
The district administration should pay attention in this direction and try to solve the problems of the farmers. The pesticides should be made easily available for the farmers, urged leaders .

Responding to the appeals made by the JD (S) leaders, Deputy Commissioner Subhodh Yadav immediately asked the officials concerned to take suitable steps to solve the farmers’ problems.

JD (S) leaders K V Nagaraj, K P Bachchegowda  G R Narayanswamy, K T Narayanswamy and others were a part of the delegation.