Thaindian News

Bangalore, Nov 30 (IANS) Even as the Karnataka government braces to hold the global agri-business and food process summit in this tech hub Thursday, leading farmers’ organisations in the state have decided to conduct a parallel meeting to protest against overseas investments in the farm sector.

“About 5,000 farmers and agricultural workers from across the state will participate in the protest meeting as we are opposed to the state government selling farm lands to overseas investors,” Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) general secretary G.C. Bayyareddy told reporters Wednesday.

On the eve of the two-day global investors’ meet in the farm sector at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) on the city’s outskirts, touted to be the first of its kind in the country, about 1,000 farmers took out a rally in the city urging the state government to desist from pledging thousands of acres of land to multinational firms.

“Though the government claims that it would not acquire farmers’ land, the chief minister (D.V. Sadananda Gowda) said Nov 25 that about 30,000 acres would be required for investments in the agriculture sector to increase productivity and sustain farm growth,” Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) general secretary Chukki Nanjundaswamy said.

Allaying fears of the farmers, Gowda told the protesters at the rally that the objective of the summit was to attract domestic and overseas investments in the farm sector and food processing as their (farmers’) welfare and sustaining agriculture growth were the main priorities of the state government.

“The main objective of the summit is to ensure sustainable growth in the sector with avenues to generate more income to the farming community through productivity, access to markets and remunerative prices for their produce,” Gowda told the agitated farmers.

Disagreeing with the chief minister’s contention, Bayyareddy said the state government was pursing anti-farmers’ policies.

“To favour multinational firms and corporates, which have vested interests to enter the farm sector, the state government has already amended the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act and has proposed to amend the Karnataka Land Reforms Act that would enable investors to buy farm lands and convert them for non-farming activities,” Bayyareddy said

Seeking farmers’ cooperation in making the summit a success, Gowda said the farm sector in the state had a potential to attract Rs.51,700 crore, including Rs.36,000 crore in setting up special facilities for agro-food processing industries, Rs.8,000 crore for support facilities, Rs.4,762 crore in allied areas and Rs.1,380 crore in dryland farming.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has been invited to inaugurate the summit, while Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member Sitaram Yechury will be addressing the farmers’ protest meet near the venue, about 25 km from the city.

“Private sector investment will harm the farm sector and multi-nationals will eventually dictate terms,” another farmers’ leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar said.