Market intervention by K'taka Govt to avoid loss to farmers

Bangalore, Mar 13 (UNI) The Karnataka Government will go in for market intervention immediately to check tomato farmers incurring loss, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said today.

Speaking to newspersons here, he said the Government had directed the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) to buy tomatoes from farmers without involving middlemen at the rate of Rs two per kg. There was no fund crunch and the Government would also bear the transportation cost of the farmers, he added.

Tomato growers in some districts, including Kolar and Chikmagalur, had distributed tomatoes free of cost to the public following slump in prices.

Mr Kumaraswamy said a committee would be set up to study the problems being faced by mango growers. The State was likely to get Rs 170 crore towards the Centrally-sponsored Horticulture Mission Project and the Government would make use of the funds to solve the problems of mango growers, he assured.

He said the Government would also make sincere efforts to provide cold storage facility to farmers across the State.

UNI SR GD RKN1827