JOIN USKarnataka Growers Federation President B S Jayaram has urged the State government to pass an amendment to Karnataka Land Grabbers’ (Prevention) Bill, to keep farmers and growers out of the ambit of the Bill.
Addressing a press meet here on Friday, the government should pass an amendment to the bill to keep farmers and growers outside the purview of the bill in the Belagavi session. Till the amendment committee is constituted, a committee with CM, minister for revenue, agriculture, forest, law, representatives of farmers and growers should be constituted. “The government should take a decision to regularise encroached farm land. It is a tragedy that the government has taken a move to evict those who have encroached land. Elected representatives should come to the rescue of the growers,”he said. Jayaram said “Arecanut is a major commercial crop grown in Malnad. Over 60 lakh families are dependent on it.
Arecanut is grown in 16 districts covering 2.25 lakh hectare land. If the government plans to ban chewing tobacco, then it will have an impact on arecanut growers. The notion that arecanut is harmful to health is unscientific. There is no carcinogens in arecanut. Arecanut prices have slashed, causing worry among growers. Karnataka Growers Federation will extend its support to the cause of arecanut growers.”
Federation former president N K Pradeep said that coffee growers problem has already been brought to the notice of the MLA. The MLA has promised to convene a meeting in Bangalore shortly. “There will be 30 per cent reduction in the production of Arabica coffee this year. Coffee Board is expecting 1.10 lakh tonne production of Arabica coffee and we are expecting 70,000 tonne production. The robasta production will be 2.15 lakh tonne.”