Bengaluru: Farmers’ organisations staged a massive protest at Freedom Park on October 12, demanding a complete farm loan waiver, crop loss compensation and solutions to other agricultural issues. Minister Satish Jarkiholi visited the protest site and assured the protesters that a meeting between farmer leaders and the Chief Minister would be convened within a week.
The State Farmers’ Organizations Federation and the State Sugarcane Growers’ Association said 217 taluks were facing drought conditions, with crop losses affecting around 20 lakh hectares and exceeding ₹20,000 crore. Federation president Kurubur Shanthakumar demanded a waiver of all agricultural loans.
In a symbolic protest against government assistance, demonstrators collected ₹1 and ₹5 coins and prepared a cheque for ₹1,770, conveying their message that farmers did not want government alms.
The organisations demanded a minimum compensation of ₹25,000 per acre for drought-hit farmers, a two-year suspension of loan recovery from rural women who borrowed from private financial institutions, and uninterrupted electricity for agricultural pump sets.
They also sought an increase in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane to ₹4,500 per tonne, along with an additional ₹800 under the State Advised Price (SAP). An incentive scheme for arecanut growers was another demand.
The protesters urged ministers and MLAs to forgo one year’s salary and divert the funds towards farmer relief. They also sought priority for agricultural electricity supply over Dasara decorations.
Sugarcane growers called for higher prices, citing rising cultivation costs, and sought additional payments linked to profits from sugar by-products and state tax revenue.
State organising secretary Attahalli Devaraj and farmer leaders Suresh M. Patil, Narasareddy Police Patil, Karabasappagowda, Gurusiddappa, Devakumar, Ellappanayaka and Dharmaraj, along with representatives from several districts, participated in the protest.