Achieving a major victory the Mangalore headquartered Chocolate cooperative CAMPCO got what it wanted- Union Minister Suresh Prabhu promised to form a committee to discuss problems faced by arecanut growers in the region.
Prabhu was addressing an interactive session organized by Campco between farmers and the union minister on Tuesday in Sullia. Prabhu promised that a meeting with the minister, MP and officials will be convened within a week to decide on the constitution of the committee.
A cooperator of long standing, Suresh Prabhu also assured the farmers that the centre will not do anything which harms the interest of farmers. “We have already formulated agriculture export policy to help you,” he said cheering the audience which comprised of cooperative leaders and farmers–local as well as those who had come from far flung areas.
Issues of poor quality of arecanut import especially from Myanmar and the need to have a national rubber policy, etc were discussed. Diseases in arecanut and issue of subsidies on farm machinery were also raised before the Minister.
Campco President S R Sathishchandra, MLA S Angara, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel were present, though Sadanand Gowda who was supposed to come, could not make it.
Farmers invited for the interactive sessions were connected with Arecanut, Pepper and Rubber crops. They turned up in large numbers to hear the minister and voice their concerns.
The interactive session was held at K.V.G.Ayurvedic College Auditorium. Held as the pride of co-operatives in the Southern state of Karnataka, CAMPCO crossed an all-time high turnover of Rs 1,742.00 crore in the financial year 2017-18. It has a track record of four and a half decades of service.
Earlier, the Campco leadership played a role in ensuring Minimum Import Price of Pepper and it was partly due to its clout, the import has been curtailed leading to the stabilization of domestic market thereby protecting the interest of the pepper farmers. The assurance of Minister in Tuesday meeting of forming a committee is also held as an achievement, said a cooperator connected to Campco.