Gowda demands compensation to Potato farmers

Bangalore, Aug 20 (UNI) J D (S) President H D Deve Gowda today urged Karnataka Government to compensate farmers of Hassan district who had lost their potato crop in more than one lakh acres due to fungus attack.

Addressing a press conference here he appealed to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to announce compensation to the affected farmers so that their cultivation cost are met.

The government should also come to the rescue of Coffee growers who are badly hit by pest attack in their plants and sugarcane growers who are hit by low recovery price for their produce, he added.

Mr Gowda also criticised the union government's decision to extend deadline to pay premium for crop insurance to those farmers who have availed farm loans from the banks while denying the same to the farmers who have not availed it.

UNI MV RS AKM 1903