GULBARGA: A convention of farmers organised jointly by the Karnataka Red Gram Growers' Association and the Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha (Puttanaiah) on Friday demanded that the Union and State governments establish a central research station on red gram in Gulbarga district.

A resolution to this effect was adopted unanimously at the end of the convention in which Agriculture Marketing Minister Sharanabasappa Dharshanapur, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP K.B. Shanappa, Janata Dal (United) MLC Basavaraj Bommai, president of the KRRS Basavaraj Tambakki and president of the Karnataka Red Gram Growers Association Basavaraj Ingin participated.

Other resolutions passed in the convention included the demand for increasing the minimum support price for red gram to Rs. 2,500 a quintal, establishing a research centre on black gram at Bidar and a research centre on green grams at Bhimarayanagudi in Gulbarga district for increasing pulse production in the region.

The convention urged the Government to nominate the chairman and members of the Red Gram Development Board and make red gram growers stakeholders in the board.

The convention also urged the Government to pay back 75 per cent of the profit from red gram to farmers from whom the produce was procured.

The convention through another resolution urged the Government to supply pulses through the Public Distribution System by procuring them directly from farmers and also called for the purchase of red gram required for different schemes, including the midday meal scheme, from the Red Gram Development Board.

The convention asked the Union Government to increase the support price for jowar to Rs. 1,200 a quintal and introduce the supply of jowar in the PDS. The Government has been asked to extend the activities of the Raita Samparka Kendras to the gram panchayat level and establish soil-testing laboratories.

In case farmers suffer a loss owing to fake or sub-standard seeds supplied through the government by private companies, the entire loss should be compensated to the farmers, participants at the convention said.

It urged the Government to extend the 4 per cent interest rate on the farm loans to all financial institutions and demanded changes in the existing crop insurance policy to make it farmer-friendly.

Earlier, farmers took out a procession from Nehru Gunj to the venue of the convention.

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