Presiding over the meeting of growers and saw mill owners at Deputy Commissioner’s office on Thursday, the DC said that the saw mill owners deduct 10 per cent of the total cost of specific variety of trees when the growers get the trees to the mill. Due to this practice, the planters and grower incur loss.

Coffee growers under the aegis of Coffee Belegarara Hitharakshana Vedike and Karnataka Belegarara Okkuta had staged protests and submitted memorandum to the DC demanding him to take steps to stop this practice.

Responding to the demands of the planters, then, the DC had promised to look into the matter. Accordingly, a meeting was convened by the DC on Thursday. Presenting their point of view, the saw mill owners said that since most of the trees brought by the planters are often curved and hollow, they incur loss.

To make up the loss, deducting about 10 per cent of the total cost of the tree is inevitable for them.

Further, the planters had also objected to the classification of trees into ‘A’ and ‘B’ category. However, Deputy Conservator of Forest Manjunath promised to convene a meeting within a week to settle the issue.

Welcome

Karnataka Belegarara Okkuta and Belegarara Hitharakshana Vedike has welcomed the direction given by the DC to the saw mill owners to stop deducting 10 per cent from the total cost of the trees brought to them by the coffee growers.

Okkuta President Dr N K Pradeep and Vedike President Utham Gowda terming it as the victory of the coffee growers, thanked the DC for responding to their plea on time.
The organisations have also welcomed the decision of the DC to hold another meeting to decide on the issue related to classification of wooden logs in ‘A’ and ‘B’ category.
DH News Service