COCONUT GROWERS TOO WILL BE FORCED TO COMMIT SUICIDE
Farmers and agricultural labourers from Kerala have reached the
national capital today to stage a dharna (sit-in) in front of our
Parliament demanding Rs 1,000-crore package to protect the agriculture
sector in the state. Hundreds of volunteers representing both the
Lerala units of AIKS and BKMU will assemble at the Kerala House
premises on October 31, that is tomorrow, and march towards the
Parliamnet House.
The coconut growing farmers are facing an unprecedented crisis. At
present, a single coconut does not even fetch Rs 3 (three), where as
till recently it used to cost Rs 10(ten) for a coconut. Also there is
no definite market available even for that distressed sale. Also those
days rice used to cost about Rs 4-5 for a kilogram. Now one has to
shell out around ten coconuts to fetch one kg of rice. Even though
NAFED has announced that it would procure copra at Rs 5,100, it never
happened. Now that the situation has worsened the Kerala units of AIKS
and BKMU demand that copra should be procured by paying Rs 7,000 to
tide over the crisis. The Kerala units also demand that de-husked
coconuts should be procured at Rs 3,000 per quintal.
Similarly, the market for coconuts and coconut oil also needs to be
expanded. All controls on exports should be removed with immediate
effect. Also, the domestically produced coconut products including
coconut oil must be exempted from all taxes. The subsidy of Rs 15
(fifteen) given to palmolein oil should also be made available to
coconut oil. The crisis being faced by the coconut growers has reached
an explosive situation that there is no option for them but to commit
suicide.
In the state 71 farmers had already committed suicide. Report of
suicide incident is heard daily. It may be noted here that these many
suicides have taken place during the past 15 months. In Wayanad alone
34 farmers have committed suicide. Till date no step has been taken to
protect the unfortunate families of those farmers forced to commit
suicide.
Even the paddy cultivators in the state are facing a severe crisis.
The central government gives only Rs 950 for a quintal of paddy. In
this crisis-ridden situation, the central government must procure
paddy from Kerala farmers at an enhanced special price of Rs 2,500 for
a quintal. Special packages announced for Kuttanad, Wayanad and Idukki
need special financial support from the central government for their
proper implementation.
Thus special measures are required to improve paddy cultivation in the
state. The state’s Kole farms, Pokali farms, Kari Nila farms and
Palakkad and Kuttanad paddy-growing cultivating areas have to be
provided with special assistance for improving the cultivation there.
Also, though the government gas declared various districts as
drought-hit areas, till date no financial aid has been extended.
Employment guarantee scheme in the state must be linked to agriculture
sector too. The numbers of days of employment that has to provided
must be raised to 200 (two hundred) along with hiking the wage to Rs
300 (three hundred).
The central government has to enact a special central legislation to
protect our farmers and agricultural workers all over the country. The
government must also fix a national minimum wage for agricultural
labour. It is to highlight the plight of farmers along with the above
demands well as to pressurize the UPA-II government at the Centre that
AIKS and BKMU leaders and selected members from Kerala are taking part
tomorrow in a March to Parliament.
We appeal to one and all to support our just demands and put pressure
on the central government to accept these demands.
Satyan Mokheri
General Secretary
AIKS, Kerala State Council
(M) 09447317669
Farmers and agricultural labourers from Kerala have reached the
national capital today to stage a dharna (sit-in) in front of our
Parliament demanding Rs 1,000-crore package to protect the agriculture
sector in the state. Hundreds of volunteers representing both the
Lerala units of AIKS and BKMU will assemble at the Kerala House
premises on October 31, that is tomorrow, and march towards the
Parliamnet House.
The coconut growing farmers are facing an unprecedented crisis. At
present, a single coconut does not even fetch Rs 3 (three), where as
till recently it used to cost Rs 10(ten) for a coconut. Also there is
no definite market available even for that distressed sale. Also those
days rice used to cost about Rs 4-5 for a kilogram. Now one has to
shell out around ten coconuts to fetch one kg of rice. Even though
NAFED has announced that it would procure copra at Rs 5,100, it never
happened. Now that the situation has worsened the Kerala units of AIKS
and BKMU demand that copra should be procured by paying Rs 7,000 to
tide over the crisis. The Kerala units also demand that de-husked
coconuts should be procured at Rs 3,000 per quintal.
Similarly, the market for coconuts and coconut oil also needs to be
expanded. All controls on exports should be removed with immediate
effect. Also, the domestically produced coconut products including
coconut oil must be exempted from all taxes. The subsidy of Rs 15
(fifteen) given to palmolein oil should also be made available to
coconut oil. The crisis being faced by the coconut growers has reached
an explosive situation that there is no option for them but to commit
suicide.
In the state 71 farmers had already committed suicide. Report of
suicide incident is heard daily. It may be noted here that these many
suicides have taken place during the past 15 months. In Wayanad alone
34 farmers have committed suicide. Till date no step has been taken to
protect the unfortunate families of those farmers forced to commit
suicide.
Even the paddy cultivators in the state are facing a severe crisis.
The central government gives only Rs 950 for a quintal of paddy. In
this crisis-ridden situation, the central government must procure
paddy from Kerala farmers at an enhanced special price of Rs 2,500 for
a quintal. Special packages announced for Kuttanad, Wayanad and Idukki
need special financial support from the central government for their
proper implementation.
Thus special measures are required to improve paddy cultivation in the
state. The state’s Kole farms, Pokali farms, Kari Nila farms and
Palakkad and Kuttanad paddy-growing cultivating areas have to be
provided with special assistance for improving the cultivation there.
Also, though the government gas declared various districts as
drought-hit areas, till date no financial aid has been extended.
Employment guarantee scheme in the state must be linked to agriculture
sector too. The numbers of days of employment that has to provided
must be raised to 200 (two hundred) along with hiking the wage to Rs
300 (three hundred).
The central government has to enact a special central legislation to
protect our farmers and agricultural workers all over the country. The
government must also fix a national minimum wage for agricultural
labour. It is to highlight the plight of farmers along with the above
demands well as to pressurize the UPA-II government at the Centre that
AIKS and BKMU leaders and selected members from Kerala are taking part
tomorrow in a March to Parliament.
We appeal to one and all to support our just demands and put pressure
on the central government to accept these demands.
Satyan Mokheri
General Secretary
AIKS, Kerala State Council
(M) 09447317669
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