Koppal farmers set fire to cane; ready land for short-term crops

Several farmers of Betageri in the taluk have destroyed sugar cane, that was damaged by unseasonal rains in the recent past, grown on vast stretch of land by setting fire to the standing crop.

Hemareddi Nagaralli, a farmer of Betageri, has destroyed the seven-month standing sugar cane crop and is readying the farm to cultivate other crops. 

Many farmers in the rainfed region, including Shankrappa Nagireddi, Venkanna Madinur, Venkatesh Nagireddi among others, have followed the suit.

“Hailstorms in the recent past have dented the growth of sugar cane crop. The seven-month old crop would take at least another 10 months for harvesting. By the time sugar cane is ready for harvesting, sugar factories would have stalled buying cane for crushing. The sugar cane growers in the region have to wait for another 10 months. So, the growers have to wait for another 27 months, if they are to sell cane and get returns for their labour. The interest on the loans taken from the bank would mount up. Add to it, we cannot even grow other crops on the land. Hence, many farmers in the region have decided to destroy the standing sugar cane crop to ready the land for cultivation of maize and sunflower,” says, Hemareddi.

“The farmers had faced a similar situation earlier too. The cotton crop was damaged by unseasonal rains. The government agencies conducted surveys on crop loss but the farmers have not received even a single paisa as compensation for crop loss,” he rued.

“A sugar factory in the district has provided sugar cane seedlings and fertilisers. I owe Rs 80,000 to the factory. Apart for this, I have to repay the loans taken for crops and tractor. If I turn defaulter, the owner of the land, who had leased out the farm land, will land in trouble. By growing short-term crops, I can, at least, make part payments and prevent bankers and moneylenders from confiscating the land,” said the farmer.

Despite its proximity to Tungabhadra river, Betageri is a rain-fed region. The successive governments had assured that the region would get river water under Singtalur Lift Irrigation sche-me. But the assurances have just remained on paper. With monsoon having played truant, the farmers in semi-arid Yelaburga and Kushtagi taluks are in distress, they said.

Hemareddi Nagaralli, a farmer in Betageri: The government agencies con-
ducted surveys on crop loss, but the farmers have not received even a single paisa as compensation for crop loss