Tractors carrying sugarcane set on fire in Mudhol amid farmers protest

Bagalkote (Karnataka), Nov 13 (PTI) Tension prevailed near Saidapur in Mudhol taluk here on Thursday, as several tractors and trolleys carrying sugarcane to a nearby factory were allegedly set on fire by some miscreants. The incident occurred amid ongoing protest by farmers demanding Rs 3,500 per tonne for their produce, police officials said.

Fire fighting personnels rushed to the spot to bring the fire and the situation under control, they said.Farmer leaders, however, claimed that the protesters had nothing to do with the incident, and expressed suspicion that it may have been orchestrated by miscreants to tarnish their agitation.Sugarcane growers have intensified their protest in parts of Bagalkote, Mudhol and few other places demanding Rs 3,500 per tonne.Last week, the state government had fixed the procurement price of sugarcane, yielding 11.25 percent recovery, at Rs 3,300 per tonne.While farmers in Belagavi and few other parts accepted the price fixed by the government and withdrew their protest, those in Bagalkote and Haveri districts and few other areas continued their agitation, terming the decision "confusing".They also said that fixing the price based on the recovery is risky. PTI KSU ROH