Farmers need scientific value for the crops they grow rather than Government subsidies, according to a farmers’ leader.

Speaking at the cashew field day organised by the Horticulture Research Station of the Bagalkot-based Horticulture University at Ullal in Mangalore taluk on Wednesday, Dhanakeerthi Balipa, President of the Moodbidri chapter of the Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha, said the cost of production of various commodities has gone up significantly.

Giving an example, he said farmers have to pay a minimum of Rs 300 a day for manual labour. Added to this, they have to face the fury of nature several times. In spite of all this, sometimes, the farmers are forced to sell their crops below their cost of production.

Replying to an official’s statement that the Government was extending subsidy to farmers in various schemes, he said: “We do not want subsidy. Give us the scientific value to the commodities we grow.”

Stating that most farmers in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts have small land holdings, he said the Government should set up adequate infrastructure such as rural cold storage units to preserve their commodities. This would help shield farmers when there was oversupply of commodities in the market.

Sampath Samrajya, farmer and member of the board of management of the university, said untimely rainfall during February affected many crops such as cashew, arecanut and paddy. Many of these crops that were in various stages of harvesting were affected by the rainfall.

Many such factors were forcing farmers to give up farming and migrate to urban areas. Analysing the current trend in the district, Samrajya wondered if there would be anybody to take up farming in the district after 20 years.

>vinayak.aj@thehindu.co.in

comment COMMENT NOW