Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Red gram: `Centre should reverse decision'

Special Correspondent

Growers express concern over fall in prices

GULBARGA: The Karnataka Pradesh Red Gram Growers' Association has said the prices of red gram in the wholesale market have crashed following the decision of the Union Government to ban exports. The Centre has also decided to import red gram to meet the domestic requirements.

Demanding that the Union Government reverse its decision, president of the association Basavaraj Ingin, vice-president Karisiddappa Patil and Krishik Samaj president Siddaramappa Dhangapur told presspersons here on Tuesday that the red gram prices had come down from Rs. 2,000 a quintal to Rs. 1,700 a quintal, and he feared that there would be further fall in the prices which would hit farmers.

Mr. Ingin said the situation would adversely affect growers who were getting ready to take up sowing in large tracts in the Hyderabad Karnataka region.

Mr. Ingin said the argument of the Centre that the red gram was being imported to stabilise the prices had no basis.

Prices of red gram had not shot up unlike those of foodgrains and pulses, he contended.

Mr. Ingin said that according to the figures released by the Union Government there had been only a marginal decline in foodgrain production this year.

While the output in 2002-03 was 212 million tonnes, it rose to 213.5 million tonnes in 2003-04 and fell marginally to 209.3 million tonnes in 2004-05.

Referring to the package announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently for the farmers in distress and for districts where a large number of suicides by farmers had been reported, Mr Ingin said it was unfortunate that only six districts in Karnataka had been included in the package. He regretted that Gulbarga, Bidar, Bijapur and Raichur districts where farmers committed suicide had been left out. The State Government should take up the matter with the Union Government.

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