Price tussle: DK Shivakumar appeals to sugarcane farmers at Kittur to call off their march to Hubballi, where they plan to gherao Union minister Pralhad Joshi’s residence
Addressing thousands of farmers in Kittur, Shivakumar said the meeting would be held at either the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi or the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. A solution can be found only when all stakeholders come together and make collective decisions,” he said. Shivakumar said rising input costs and falling incomes had added to farmers’ distress. He said he had already discussed the issue with Union ministers and state Cabinet members. The govts, factories and all stakeholders must arrive at a common understanding,” he said.
Belagavi : Chief minister DK Shivakumar Saturday promised to convene a meeting of sugarcane growers, sugar factory representatives and govt officials within a week after Dasara to discuss farmers’ demand for better prices, as protesters continued their march towards Hubballi to gherao Union minister Pralhad Joshi’s residence. Ministers, officials from the state and Centre, factory representatives and farmers’ functionaries would attend. “This is not just your problem. It involves the Central and state govts, sugar factories, banks and farmers. “The problem affects sugar-producing states such as Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.