The State convention of the Sugarcane Growers’ Association will be held in Mysuru on July 5 to seek policy changes from the government on agricultural issues to benefit farmers.

The thrust will be on amending rules under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) so as to include commercial crops like sugarcane under the newly launched crop insurance scheme. Sugarcane and a few other commercial crops, including silk, have been left out of the ambit of the PMFBY and the association members want these two crops to be brought under its purview to benefit the farmers.

“In Karnataka, there are lakhs of sugarcane cultivators and about 2 lakh hectares, which was brought under sugarcane, withered due to drought this year. It would have provided succour to farmers had the crop insurance scheme not kept sugarcane out of its purview on the grounds that it is a commercial crop,” said Atihalli Devaraj, secretary of the association. The same applies to sericulture, which is not under the crop insurance scheme, he added.

The farmers are also seeking a revision in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane from nearly Rs. 2,300 to Rs. 3,000 in view of the escalation in the cost of cultivation.

Revamp sought

Association president .Kurubur Shanthakumar called for a total revamp of the lending policies of the government and suggested that banks should be authorised to lend up to 75 per cent of the land value mortgaged by the farmers to avail loan instead of pegging the loan amount to the cultivation cost and the area of cultivation.

A change in the lending policies will help arrest the wave of suicides of farmers due to financial stress created by agricultural crisis, said Mr. Shanthakumar. The association will also seek an amendment to the banking laws regarding agricultural loan, which stipulates repayment within a year to avail zero per cent interest.

“But the gestation period of sugarcane is longer and the cycle — from sowing to harvesting, crushing and payment from the factories to the farmers — take about 18 months and hence sugarcane cultivators should be given that option',” said Mr. Shanthakumar.

Thrust will be on amending rules under PMFBY to include sugarcane under crop insurance scheme