CM pledges support for sugarcane growers

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday affirmed State government’s commitment to safeguard the interests of sugarcane growers.

Speaking at the national sugarcane grower conference, he said his government will strengthen an already existing sugarcane control board, which has been set up to fix the procurement rates and research and development.

He emphasised on a better relationship between the sugarcane growers and sugar mills. He told the farming community that he will look into the problems faced by them.

Regarding scrapping criminal cases pending against the farmers for staging demonstration to press for their various demands, Siddaramaiah said he would take the decision after reviewing the cases.

Earlier speaking on the occasion, Consortium of Indian Farmers’ Associations (CIFA)’ Tamil Nadu State General Secretary R V Giri  said the CIFA survey showed that in the last few decades service sector grew by eight to 10 per cent whereas agriculture grew only by one or two per cent. He rued that the poor growth rate has forced farmers either to migrate to cities to work as labourers or commit suicide.

Giri opined that the best technologies available in the agriculture sector should be introduced in India. He said: “At least Rs 10,000 crore investment has come in the medical biotechnology but not even Rs 100 crore investment in agriculture biotechnology.

When countries like China and the US are not averse to biotech seeds, why should we restrict it. When you go to these foreign countries you eat only genetic food.  Please review the agriculture biotech policies,” he said.