Farmers leave for New Delhi to attend national meet on May 21

The team, comprising members from delta districts, was headed by P Ayyakannu, State president of Desiya Thennindiya Nadhigal Inaippu sangam. The farmers have decided to hold a meeting at Jantar Mantar, the venue where they earlier conducted a series of agitations for 42 days, on May 21 which will be attended by farmers associations from across the nation. They have planned to resume the protest after discussions. The Tamil Nadu farmers drew the attention of the Centre to various issues plaguing the farming sector by staging protests in various forms.

“Farmers should be ensured appropriate Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the agriculture produce. Though the pay scale in other sectors have soared over the years, farming sadly remains to be a non-lucrative profession. The Union government should implement the suggestions of M S Swaminathan committee to revise the MSP,” said Ayyakannu. Sources said that farmers representatives, numbering around 300 from 28 States would participate and discuss the next course of a nation-wide protest pressing for various demands of the agriculture community, including mandatory pension for farmers above 60 years. 

A demand to set up the Cauvery Management Board at the earliest would also be raised at the meeting, the farmers added.