JOIN USMany members of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday expressed a unanimous opinion that a forum be established for discussing the problems of agriculture sector, farmers and the efforts to address the same in a scientific manner.
During a discussion on regional imbalance, members cutting across party lines expressed that scientific pricing be made available to farmers prior to the commencement of sowing season. This would help them to choose crops which they should grow based on the climatic conditions.
Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar said that farmers are not getting scientific prices for their produces. Private money-lenders were exploiting farmers leading to suicides.
Assistant commissioners, while assessing the reasons for suicide by farmers, were not considering private loans raised by them, he pointed out. He questioned the working of the Agriculture Price Commission as its chairman not being part of the government’s enquiry into the suicides.
Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa said that new thoughts are needed to resolve the problems faced by the agriculture sector. Minister H C Mahadevappa said the sentiments of the members to form a forum and make agriculture profitable would be considered.