Belagavi: Bharatiya Krishik Samaj (United) activists protested in Belagavi and submitted a memorandum to the chief minister Siddaramaiah, and the minister of food and civil supplies KH Muniyappa, through the district administration. They urged the government to purchase jowar, ragi, millets, and rice directly from farmers.
The state president of Bharatiya Krishik Samaj (United), Sidagouda Modagi, stated that the Karnataka government’s Annabhagya Yojana was very ambitious since the state has to import rice from other states to financially maintain the scheme. He believes that buying crops directly from farmers will help alleviate financial burdens and benefit farmers while improving the quality of food distributed to underprivileged citizens.
Moreover, farmers don’t only rely on rice cultivation. On top of that, optimal nutrition is not possible with rice alone, so by procuring and distributing rice along with jowar, millets, and cereals, malnutrition can be alleviated.
Agriculture department or state food corporations can purchase agricultural produce to simplify the process. Rait Sampark Kendras can be used as purchase centers as they have agricultural links, reducing transportation costs. Directly buying crops from farmers has several benefits, such as transparent transactions, good storage, timely payment, savings on transportation costs, quality food grain, and, most importantly, farmers directly receiving money. Buying produce directly will help farmers achieve financial self-sufficiency.
Krishik Samaj suggests that the government should consider buying crops from farmers by offering competitive and fair market prices to benefit farmers financially. This initiative can help alleviate many financial burdens faced by farmers and provide underprivileged citizens with better nutritional options.
Overall, Krishik Samaj’s initiatives support local farmers and their produce while contributing positively to society. The government should consider these suggestions to boost farmers’ financial prospects and to provide better food choices to the population.
