The Hindu Business Line : TN paddy farmers plan protest march in Delhi

Coimbatore, Nov. 26 Paddy farmers’ consortium, an affiliate of various regional farmers body from Tamil Nadu, is planning a ‘Delhi chalo’ agitation on November 29 demanding higher procurement price for paddy from the Centre.

Around 250 farmers belonging to the consortium comprising six active paddy growers’ regional associations from Thanjavur delta, Tiruchi, Madurai, Erode and Athur will symbolically carry head-loads of paddy for the Delhi demonstration to highlight the plight of paddy growers. The agitation will be led by Mr Aarupaathi Kalyanam, leader of the Delta Farmers Association, and Mr C.Vyapuri, United Farmers Association President.

The farmers forums in the consortium — two delta farmers bodies, the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh affiliate from Tiruchi, Farmers Forum of India from Madurai, Kizh Bhavani Kalingarayan Ayacut Farmers Association, Erode, and United Farmers Association from Athur — are seeking the Centre’s minimum support price for samba paddy crop be hiked to Rs 1,500 per quintal from Rs 775. They also demand that the MSP for the kuruvai crop be hiked to Rs 1,000.

Disclosing this to Business Line, Mr Vyapuri said while the country’s foodgrains sector faced a crisis with the falling food crops, the farming community continued to languish due to un-remunerative prices for their food crops. The Centre should take note of the dismal situation engulfing the agricultural sector and the indigent farmers.