Farmers disappointed as Karnataka govt silent on ‘Karavali Package’

Farmers growing paddy in coastal belts have been left disappointed this year, with government remaining silent on the special ‘Karavali Package’ -- an incentive for paddy growers.

In 2019, government had announced a financial incentive of Rs 7,500 per hectare in order to motivate farmers and promote paddy cultivation in coastal belts. An amount of Rs 2.258 crore was disbursed among 5,169 paddy growers in the state under the scheme.

Over Rs 1.35 crore was deposited in the accounts of 3,791 farmers in Dakshina Kannada (DK) and Udupi districts. DK Agriculture department Joint Director Seetha said that this year separate Karavali Package and Krishi Bhagya yojana was not announced by the government.

But incentives and subsidy for farm implements were given under the ‘National Food Security Mission.’ Support was also extended to farmers who take up mechanised cultivation. In DK district, paddy was cultivated on 11,248 hectares of land during the kharif season.

In Udupi, paddy was cultivated on 35,756 hectares of land. Farmers in DK and Udupi were demanding Karavali package for paddy, on the lines of Kerala package. In 2011, then joint director of Agriculture in DK sent a proposal to the Commissioner of Agriculture on increasing land under paddy cultivation.

In 2016, the joint director of Agriculture had submitted a proposal on implementing Karavali package for paddy farmers. Then Agriculture Price Commission chairman Dr T N Prakash Kammardi had sent a team of officials from DK, Udupi, Shivamogga, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru districts, along with farmer representatives to Kerala, to study the model and submit a report.

Based on the report, the package was announced. Manohar Shetty N, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Hasiru Sene, organising secretary of DK, said: “The government has neglected paddy growers of the region. The untimely rain has affected farmers who were ready to harvest standing crop.

Rice mill owners too had reduced the price per quintal of paddy. The rice mill owners are paying Rs 1,800 per quintal for Kaje Jaya variety of rice. Other varieties of rice including Mo4, Jyothi fetches Rs 1,400 to Rs 1600 per quintal. The paddy farmers from DK also do not get any benefit under the government's minimum support price scheme.

The elected representatives too are silent on the Karavali package this year. DK Zilla Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene are mulling over the options of staging a protest against the indifferent attitude of the government.