Mandya: Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) called for a shutdown of the Bengaluru-Mysuru NH near Gananguru toll plaza in Mandya on Oct 23, demanding an increase in sugarcane prices and a complete waiver of farm loans.
As a result, farmers continued to face delays in receiving payments for cane supplied to factories, he said.
Raitha Sangha leader Badagalapura Nagendra said farmers would block the highway to press the state and central govts to address their long-pending demands. He alleged that state govt had failed to hold sugar factories accountable, as several mills were owned by political leaders cutting across party lines.
Demanding that the sugarcane price be increased to Rs 5,500 per tonne, Nagendra said farmers in North Karnataka were already staging protests over the issue. He also referred to the support provided to sugarcane growers in Tamil Nadu and criticised state govt for failing to clear outstanding dues. KRRS also demanded a complete waiver of farm loans to provide relief to farmers facing financial difficulties.