State to buy fodder from farmers

The state government will buy fodder from farmers to help them in the wake of the drought, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Tuesday. 

A government order in this regard would be out in a week, the minister said. He was speaking at a programme at Charakunte village in the taluk. The purchased fodder would be sold to farmers in districts where there is a dire need for it, Gowda said.

The rainfall received during the North East monsoon would be assessed after December 15, the minister said. Based on the assessment, a proposal for compensation would be sent to the Centre, Gowda said.

A meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee would be held to discuss opening of paddy purchase centres, he said. The meeting would decide on procuring paddy at a revised price, based on the support price announced by the Centre. The minister said that business had come down by 35% at APMCs owing to the note ban. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remind him of the state’s demand for Rs 4,702-crore drought relief package, he said.