Growers to support Kodagu bundh

 
Addressing a press meet on Wednesday, Committee President Panathale Vishwanath and others said the large growers federation has been lobbying the Commerce ministry to withheld the announcement of the pacakge as it will benefit small growers who own below 25 acres land. He said large growers are demanding waiving off loan borrowed for the purchase of estate. As the MP is also supporting the demand, the package was not announced and the small growers are in distress. If the packages are not announced by December, then the banks will take legal action against the growers.

He said the district administration and elected representatives are mum over disruption in poower supply and deplorable condition of roads in Kodagu. The ASEAN agreement will prove a deathknell to the coffee, pepper and rubber growers. “With the ASEAN agreement, the import duty on coffee and pepper will come down by 45 per cent. This will have an impact on its price. The loan borrpowed by the coffee growers should be waived off. Road must be repaired and India should come out of ASEAN agreement,” he added. 

It is a tragedy that farmers do not have right to fix the prices for the commodities grown. If the State and Centre fail to responds to the demands then the protest will be intensified, Vishwanath warned.