[Onthebarricades] Farmers' protests, Apr-Aug 2008

[Andy]

ON THE BARRICADES:  Global Resistance Roundup, April-August 2008
https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onthebarricades
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance/

*  INDIA:  Farmers protest nationwide over late/absent fertiliser quota
                    In Haveri, Karnataka, one protester is killed by police 
during clashes
                    Unrest also hit Andhra Pradesh, with 20 injured by 
police shootings after storming a store
                    Elsewhere farmers staged dharnas and road blockades; 
left and right parties join in
*  ARGENTINA:  Farm export tax hike cancelled after massive farmers' strike, 
mass protests, road blockades
                             Previously, farmers and their allies had 
clashes with riot cops
*  INDIA:  Protest at poor potato crop due to seed quality
*  BULGARIA:  Milk producers stage ongoing campaign for subsidies, block 
roads
*  AUSTRALIA:  Farmers protest against wheat export deregulation
                            "What's worse than weevils in wheat - rats in 
parliament"
*  PHILIPPINES:  Farm protesters sneak into palace
*  INDIA, Manapparai:  Farmers protest power cuts
*  ZIMBABWE:  Tobacco farmers protest inflation
*  INDIA, Thiruvanthapuram:  Youth group protests for change in grain policy
*  GERMANY, HOLLAND:  Farmers blockade dairies in price protest
*  LATVIA:  Milk farmers rally
*  BANGLADESH:  Protest over rise in fertiliser price
*  IRELAND:  Protest against pig imports at Lidl
*  PHILIPPINES:  Farmers show outrage at land reform defeat
*  INDIA, Tamil Nadu:  Airport land grab protested
*  TAIWAN:  Protests cause fertiliser price freeze
*  INDIA, Karnataka:  Tomato price crash protested
*  INDIA, Hyderabad:  Farmers court arrest in protest for rice price subsidy
*  EU/GERMANY:  Farmers mail official milk in price protest
*  KASHMIR:  Fruit growers protest, seek road passage
*  INDIA, Karnataka:  Farmers protest for compensation for crop loss
*  INDIA, Orissa:  Farmers protest over loan waiver eligibility
*  INDIA, Bangalore:  Protesters demand tomato price support
*  KENYA:  Wheat farmers protest low prices
*  INDIA, Karnataka:  Leftist protesters demand crop insurance
*  KASHMIR:  Growers protest for right to cross Indian-Pakistani border
*  PAKISTAN:  Sugar farmers protest nonpayment
*  INDIA, Bangalore:  Coconut farmers protest for neera development aid
*  IRELAND:  Farmers protest barley prices at Guinness
*  PAKISTAN:  Farmers protest water shortage
*  INDIA, Karnataka:  Farmers protest ore seizure, demand right to mine; 
block roads
*  INDIA, Karnataka:  Sugar farmers protest for payment of dues


http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/11/stories/2008061157170100.htm

Farmers’ protest turns violent, man killed in police firing
Karnataka Bureau
Yeddyurappa says it’s an organised conspiracy to sully his Government’s 
image
To his rescue: A man rushes to help an injured person during farmers’ 
protest in Haveri on Tuesday.
HAVERI/BANGALORE: One person was killed and 13 were injured in police firing 
and lathi-charge when farmers in Haveri district resorted to violent 
protests on Tuesday.
Deputy Commissioner of Haveri P.S. Vastrad gave the name of the deceased as 
Siddalingappa Choori (34) of Haveri. However, he denied that there was 
police firing and said that only tear-gas shells were lobbed to disperse the 
crowd.
When contacted, District Surgeon Marekkanavar told The Hindu that some of 
the injured had sustained bullet injuries. He said seven injured persons 
were shifted to Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital. Of 
the seven, the condition of three was serious.
According to eyewitnesses, the main reason for the protests was that in 
spite of having been issued tokens, the farmers were not given fertilizers. 
Hundreds of farmers had lined up in front of the fertilizer shops. When 
fertilizers were not given to them, they resorted to a “rasta roko.”
Violent protests were reported in Bankapur, Shiggaon, Motebennur and Haveri, 
which are connected by the Pune-Bangalore National Highway. Consequently, 
vehicular movement was paralysed for almost half a day.
The protesters torched two buses in Motebennur and one bus in Haveri. They 
also pushed two buses into a roadside ditch and damaged several buses by 
throwing stones.
Several shops, including fertilizer shops, were looted during the protests 
at Shiggaon and Bankapur. The police had to lob tear gas shells to control 
the mob. In Motebennur too, the police had to lob tear gas shells to 
disperse the crowd and to bring the situation under control.
At Haveri, trouble started after the police resorted to lathi-charge to 
disperse the crowd which had started pelting stones at shops around the 
NWKRTC Bus Stand.
When the protesters didn’t budge the police lobbed tear gas shells. But the 
protestors continued throwing stones. According to eye witnesses, at this 
juncture the police resorted to firing. Mr. Vastrad, who denied this, said 
that the situation was brought under control by 6 p.m. He said prohibitory 
orders had been clamped in the city as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, a defiant Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa did not express regret 
over the incident. Maintaining that “genuine farmers” were not involved in 
the ongoing violent protests against shortage of fertilizers, the Chief 
Minister warned that stern action would be taken against those who try to 
take the law into their own hands.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, who convened a meeting of top-ranking officials and senior 
Ministers to review the situation told presspersons that the protest was “an 
organised conspiracy to sully his Government’s image and to create 
 confusion”.
He ordered an inquiry by the Belgaum Divisional Commissioner Amita Prasad 
into the police firing and gave her a deadline of 10 days to submit a report 
to the Government.
He also ordered a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh to the family members of the 
deceased and Rs. 50,000 to those who were seriously injured. Those who 
suffered minor injuries will get Rs. 25,000 each.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080617/jsp/nation/story_9422239.jsp

Fertiliser riot, now in Andhra
- Police firing injures 20 farmers incensed at ‘no stock’ sign OUR BUREAU
June 16: The simmering discontent in the agrarian belt spread to Andhra 
Pradesh today, with farmers hitting the streets in protest against shortage 
of fertilisers and seeds ahead of the kharif season.
At least 20 farmers in Nizamabad were injured in police firing.
The farmers had stormed the residence of a seed and fertilisers dealer in 
the Telengana town, incensed by the “no stock” sign in front of his outlet.
They burnt two police jeeps and a motorcycle when the force was sent to 
quell the violence.
The flare-up comes days after police firing in Karnataka killed three 
farmers protesting a shortage of fertilisers.
The farmers are angry at the shortage of the fertiliser di-ammonium 
phosphate (DAP), a vital nutrient applied as basal dressing during sowing 
time.
The Centre has promised an additional 1.4 lakh tonnes of the fertiliser for 
Karnataka later this month. This is 20,000 tonnes more than the state’s 
estimated requirement.
In the current kharif season, the projected requirement of the fertiliser is 
anywhere between 40 and 48 lakh tonnes, with domestic production estimated 
at 19-20 lakh tonnes.
The balance is met by imports, and contracts have been awarded for about 29 
lakh tonnes.
Officials in Delhi said there was no fertiliser shortage in the country and, 
if required, more would be provided. But sources said the reality was 
different.
An agricultural economist said the shortage had hit farming in both the 
southern states where kharif operations have begun.
Andhra has around 64 lakh acres under kharif cultivation with a target of 
producing 130 lakh tonnes of foodgrain.
The seed requirement is pegged at 10 lakh tonnes.
Andhra Pradesh Marketing Federation chairman P. Prabhakar said: “There is no 
shortage.”
But he admitted that the state had stocks of just about two lakh tonnes of 
fertilisers.
Amid the tension, the hunt for a scapegoat is on. Union finance minister P. 
Chidambaram has suggested that the responsibility for smooth movement of 
fertilisers lies with the states.
“Bottlenecks and shortages that show up here and there are largely… local 
bottlenecks, which should be cleared by the local government,” he had said 
while reacting to the Karnataka violence.
But others held New Delhi responsible.
R.S. Deshpande, an economist at the Institute for Social and Economic Change 
in Bangalore, said the Centre was to blame for the fertiliser shortage since 
it had failed to plan according to the agriculture seasons.
“At a meeting in Vigyan Bhavan five months ago, some economists, including 
myself, voiced concern that a fertiliser crisis was looming because 
production had slowed down. The government failed to anticipate the required 
demand and instead encouraged exports,” Deshpande said.
He said that if the fertiliser ministry had then taken care to ensure that 
production met the domestic demand, the crisis would not have arisen.
Exporting fertilisers gives the industry larger margins, and so 
manufacturers prefer to export, Deshpande argued.
“The Centre should have whipped up production in March instead of doing it 
now after the violence,” he said.
“The fact that the kharif season has come early this time really does not 
matter; everything should have been in place by early June. Even the rains 
were on time this season.”
The Centre has now decided to allow the states to directly import 
fertilisers, a move Deshpande said was “foolish” because it would cost them 
three times more.
“Basically, they (the ministry) took it easy in the last few months and have 
suddenly woken up. I am sure the shortage will be in control within the next 
15-20 days. The only remedy for this is early planning,” Deshpande said.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/18/stories/2008061851810300.htm

Protests galore over fertilizer shortage
Staff Correspondent
Farmers in Davangere district ‘disillusioned’ with assurances

‘Non-administration of fertilizer will increase chances of crop failure’
Farmers in Harpanahalli were arrested while staging a ‘rasta roko’

DAVANGERE: Farmers staged a protest against the shortage of fertilizers by 
blocking the Bangalore-Poona National Highway near Gandhi Circle here on 
Tuesday. They later formed a human chain and raised slogans against the 
Government for not supplying “adequate” fertilizers to them.
They said they would intensify their protests if the authorities failed to 
be proactive and added that the Government would be held responsible for any 
law and order problem.
The farmers submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner in which they 
said that unless they administered sufficient fertilizer while sowing seeds, 
there were high chances of crop failure.
The farmers, led by Huchavanahalli Manjunath, blocked the highway for over 
three hours and later staged a demonstration in front of the Deputy 
Commissioner’s office.
In Chennagiri
Farmers in Chennagiri also staged a dharna and blocked the 
Chennagiri-Shimoga road for two hours in protest against the shortage of 
fertilizers. They, however, withdrew their agitation following an assurance 
by the Deputy Commissioner that 400 tonnes of fertilizer would be supplied 
to Chennagiri in two days.
In Harpanahalli
Farmers in Harpanahalli also staged a similar dharna in front of the 
tahsildar’s office demanding that the official ensure that fertilizers were 
provide to them as promised a few days ago.
The official, however, urged the farmers to wait for a few more days within 
which fertilizers would be procured from Davangere. The farmers, who became 
restive, raised slogans against the Government demanding an explanation for 
the delay in its supply.
Later, they went to Harihar Circle and staged a protest there too.
The police, however, arrested them when they resorted to a “rasta roko.”
Agriculture Minister and Davangere district in-charge S.A. Ravindranath, who 
was present in Davangere, instructed officials to appoint nodal officers for 
each gram panchayat to ensure the supply of fertilizers to farmers. He told 
The Hindu that he had instructed officials of the Agriculture and 
Horticulture departments to work in coordination so that the supply of 
fertilizer was timely.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/15/stories/2008061556950300.htm

TDP protests against shortage of fertilizers
Staff Reporter
ADILABAD: TDP on Saturday protested the continuing shortage of fertilizers 
both inside and outside the Zilla Parishad. While TDP Zilla Parishad 
Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) members and Mandal Parishad Presidents (MPP) 
staged a sit in while the general body meeting was on, slogan shouting party 
activists marched to the venue demanding proper supply of fertilizers.
No sooner the meeting began TDP members trooped to the podium and staged a 
sit in questioning the short supply of the fertilizers especially the 
di-ammonium phosphate.
They pointed out that contrary to the Government’s assurance, there was 
heavy shortfall in supply of fertilizers in rural areas across the district.
Chairman Ramesh Rathod and party floor leader Chiluveru Satyanarayana sought 
from the officials the criterion for allocation and present position of 
supply to mandals.
Collector Ahmad Nadeem assured the members that adequate quantity of 
fertilizer will be distributed as per the mandal-wise requirement. He said 
the fertilizer was arriving in phased manner.
TDP activists submitted a memorandum regarding their demand.

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=370636

Farmers protest fertilizer shortage in Andhra Pradesh

IANS     Friday 13th June, 2008
Farmers in different parts of Andhra Pradesh took to the streets Friday to 
protest the shortage of fertilizers and seeds, but the government maintained 
that there was no shortage of these agricultural commodities.

Farmers blocked roads, laid siege to government offices and held 
demonstrations in some districts, protesting the shortage of fertilizers and 
demanded that the government take immediate steps to address the problem.

A group of farmers attacked government-run market committee office and a 
bank in Vikarabad in Ranga Reddy district. At Chevella in the same district, 
farmers blockaded roads.

Similar protests were also held in Nizamabad, Guntur and Anantapur 
districts. The opposition parties have also backed the protest by farmers.

The main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) announced a two-day protest 
from Saturday over the problems faced by farmers and to demand hike in 
minimum support price (MSP) for paddy to take it to Rs.1,000 per quintal.

The central government Friday hiked the MSP by Rs.105 to Rs.850 per quintal 
for this year.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India (CPI) and 
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) have also demanded hike in the MSP 
for paddy.

Various farmers' organisations decided to make a last representation to 
Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to prevail upon the central government 
to hike the MSP to Rs.1,000.

'If the government fails to concede our demand, we will launch state-wide 
agitation,' said Prabhakar Reddy, leader of a farmers' organization.

Meanwhile, the chief minister said there absolutely no shortage of 
fertilizers in the state. He said the fertilizers of all grades would be 
made available to the farmers as and when needed. 'There is no need to 
panic,' said a statement from the chief minister's office.

He, however, warned that the government would take stringent action against 
fertilizer dealers creating artificial shortage, hoarding or blackmarketing 
of the fertilizers.

While releasing the agricultural action plan for 2008-09 Wednesday, the 
chief minister had admitted that there was shortage of fertilizers but 
assured to take all steps for sufficient supply. He had said the delay in 
import of required chemicals led to the situation.

The state has set a target of 20 million tonnes of food grains production 
this year, against 19.1 million tonnes during 2007-08.


http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/10/stories/2008061052620300.htm

Dearth of fertilizer stocks sparks protest by farmers
Staff Correspondent
‘The Government is negligent towards ensuring adequate supply’

Mark of protest: Farmers staging a ‘rasta roko’ at Kittur Channamma Circle 
in Hubli on Monday.
HUBLI: Traffic was thrown out of gear for more than two hours here on Monday 
following a “rasta roko” by farmers of villages in Hubli taluk.
Although traffic was diverted to alternative routes, traffic jams caused 
much inconvenience to people.
The farmers staged the protest around 1.30 p.m. after they were told by 
dealers that fertilizers would be supplied only after receiving stocks. They 
marched to Kittur Channamma Circle and blocked the road from all sides. 
Seven roads converge there, and hence the blockade led to chaos. The farmers 
criticised the Government for their “negligence” towards ensuring adequate 
supply of fertilizers.
“Yesterday they told us that they will give fertilizer today. I was at the 
fertilizer shop by 6 a.m. We have been standing in the queue since then. Now 
they tell us that they don’t have stocks”, Mudukappa of Sherewada said.
In the wake of the traffic chaos, the driver of a truck transporting 
fertilizer tried to move the vehicle to a safer place. The farmers stopped 
the vehicle, but police personnel dispersed the crowd. The police allegedly 
manhandled Bharamagouda Patil, an aged farmer, and this enraged the farmers. 
They staged a dharna demanding supply of fertilisers, and sought action 
against the police for their “high-handedness.”
Former Ministers Basavaraj Horatti and P.C. Siddanagoudar visited the spot 
and tried to convince the farmers to withdraw their agitation. But the 
protesters were in no mood to relent. Police Commissioner Narayan Nadamani 
too made a futile attempt to pacify the protesters.
Assistant Director of Agriculture Basavaraj Guddad told them that 1,200 
tonnes of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) had been distributed in the district, 
and the district had received 300 tonnes of the fertilizer on Monday. 
Protest would only mean delay in the distribution, he said. However, the 
protesters wanted an official of a higher rank to answer their queries, and 
continued their protest.
Around 4 p.m., they decided to withdraw the protest and hold a discussion 
regarding the next course of action.


http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/08/stories/2008060851590300.htm

In Dharwad, members of the Dharwad city unit of the Karnataka Rakshana 
Vedike protested against the “failure” of the Government in ensuring 
adequate supply of fertilizers and seeds. The vedike activists, led by 
president of the Dharwad city unit Shivaji Dembre and president of the 
Dharwad rural unit Rehman Holi, urged the Chief Minister to take immediate 
steps to supply adequate quantity of seeds and fertilizers, and distribute 
them at subsidised rates to farmers.


http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/24/stories/2008062450480200.htm

In another protest, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took out a rally 
protesting against the Union Government’s alleged delay in supplying 
fertilizers to the State.
Delay
The protesters alleged that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government 
led by the Congress was deliberately delaying the supply of fertilizers to 
defame the BJP Government in the State. They demanded that the Union 
Government immediately release the State’s quota of fertilizers. The day’s 
third protest was organised by the Karnataka State Government Daily Wage 
Labours’ Association. District president of the association T.G. 
Yeshwantraju, who addressed the protesters outside the Deputy Commissioner’s 
office, urged the Government to regularise around 1,700 workers, who had 
completed 10 years service.
The fourth agitation was organised by the district unit of Rashtriya Kisan 
Sangha demanding an early distribution of fertilizers to the farmers.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/24/stories/2008062452390300.htm

Karnataka - Gulbarga

A day of protests in Gulbarga
Special Correspondent
KPRS, BJP and the women’s wing of the Congress take out processions

Raising their voices: Farmers affiliated to the KPRS staging a ‘chakka jam’ 
in Gulbarga on Monday.
GULBARGA: It was a day of protests in Gulbarga city on Monday with two major 
political parties and the Karnataka Pranta Raita Sangha (KPRS), the farmer’s 
wing of the Communist Part of India (Marxist), taking to the streets to 
protest against the shortage of fertilizers and the death of Padmapriya 
Bhat, wife of Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat.
‘Chakka jam’
The farmers affiliated to the KPRS staged a “chakka jam” on the interstate 
highway connecting Gulbarga and Waghdhari in Maharashtra, disrupting traffic 
for over an hour.
They protested against the State Government’s failure to ensure adequate 
supply of fertilizers to farmers. The protest was led by president of the 
organisation Maruti Manpade, who is also the State Secretariat Member of the 
CPI(M).
In a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and submitted 
to the district authorities, the KPRS demanded that fertilizers be supplied 
to farmers through cooperative societies, Revenue Department and Agriculture 
Department. They also demanded that the State Government pay Rs. 5 lakh as 
compensation to the family of farmer Veershetty Kanna who committed suicide 
a couple of days back.
Blamed
The BJP workers took out a procession from the super market to the Deputy 
Commissioner’s office. They blamed the Centre for the shortage of 
fertilizers in the State. They were led by the president of district unit of 
the party Amarnath Patil, the former MLA M.Y. Patil and other leaders.
In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, they charged the 
Centre of failing to meet the demand for fertilizers in the State.
They said that the State Government could not be blamed for the present 
situation and that the Centre should be held responsible. They added that 
the Governor’s administration should also be blamed for not taking 
precautionary steps during President’s Rule in the State.
Demand
The women’s wing of the Congress party, led by its president and the former 
Mayor Chandrika Parameshwar took out a procession in the city demanding a 
CBI probe into Ms. Padmapriya’s death. In a memorandum addressed to Governor 
Rameshwar Thakur and submitted to the district authorities, Ms. Parameshwar 
said that the people had lost faith in the State police due to interference 
by the ruling party leaders in an attempt to hush up the case.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/24/stories/2008062452280300.htm

Karnataka - Madikeri

BJP members stage protest, court arrest
Staff Correspondent
‘Congress-led Government at the Centre deliberately holding back fertilizer 
supply’

FOR FARMERS: BJP workers, led by the president of the Kodagu unit, M.P. 
Sunil Subramani, staging a protest in Madikeri on Monday.
Madikeri: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers staged a rasta 
roko at the General Thimayya Circle here on Monday in protest against the 
Union Government not releasing adequate quantity of fertilizer to the State 
to meet the needs of farmers.
They shouted slogans against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance 
Government at the Centre alleging that it was showing step-motherly attitude 
towards Karnataka as its rival BJP had assumed power in the State.
In distress
Farmers were a distressed lot and the Congress-led Government at the Centre 
was deliberately holding back fertilizer supply to demoralise the BJP 
Government, president of the Kodagu BJP unit, M.P. Sunil Subramani, alleged.
When they refused to clear the road for vehicular traffic, which was held up 
for some time in the morning, police arrested them.
The protestors were released later.
Those present included general secretary of the district BJP Ravi 
Kushalappa, local leaders D.B. Balakrishna, B.D. Manjunath, former president 
of the Kodagu unit, S.G. Medappa, party spokesman, M.B. Devaiah, Rajiv 
Bopaiah of the Yuva Morcha and councillors of the Madikeri City Municipal 
Council.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/24/stories/2008062452380300.htm

Karnataka - Shimoga

Protest against ‘delay in sending fertilizers’
Special Correspondent

‘Congress trying to politicise fertilizer issue’
‘Join hands with Government to solve the problem’

SHIMOGA: BJP workers staged a demonstration here on Monday to protest 
against the delay by the Union Government to dispatch chemical fertilizers 
to the State in the required quantity.
They staged a dharna at the Shivappa Nayak Circle in protest against what 
they called a conspiracy by the Union Government in delaying the supply of 
fertilizers to the State just to embarrass the State Government.
They alleged that the Congress leaders in the State were trying to 
politicise the fertilizer issue even though they were aware of the fact that 
the problem arose because of the delay by the Union Government in supplying 
the fertilizers in the required quantity.
The protesters appealed to the Congress leaders to join hands with the State 
Government to tackle the problem arising out of scarcity of fertilizers 
instead of indulging in petty politics.
They asked the Congress leaders to exert pressure on the Congress-led United 
Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre to dispatch the consignment of 
fertilizers without delay.
The former municipal president, R.K. Siddharamanna, said that the scarcity 
of fertilizers could not have taken such a serious turn if the authorities 
concerned had, during the President’s Rule, assessed the requirement of 
fertilizers for the season and placed indent with the Union Government at 
the appropriate time.
He said what was distressing was that the Congress leaders were trying to 
mislead the people on the issue.
Exception
He took exception to the visit of the Leader of Opposition in the 
Legislative Assembly M. Mallikarjun Kharge to the house of a farmer 
Narayanaswamy at Anjanapur in Shikaripur taluk on Sunday to console the 
bereaved family. Narayanaswamy committed suicide.
Mr. Siddharamanna sought to know whether Mr. Kharge had called on the 
relatives of farmers who committed suicide during the Congress rule in the 
State.
He said, “It is unfortunate that Mr. Kharge tried to exploit the death of a 
farmer to his political advantage.”
He asked the Opposition parties not to complicate the farmers’ suicide with 
the sole intention of embarrassing the BJP Government.
He wanted them to extend their support to the Government to overcome the 
situation.
Others who participated in the demonstration included the president of the 
district BJP unit Girish Patel, the president of the city BJP unit, 
Jnaneshwara, the president of the district BJP women’s morcha, Suvarna 
Shankar, the president of the city municipal council, M. Shankar, and 
councillors S.N. Channabasappa and J.N. Subhash.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/08/stories/2008070853720400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Farmers stage protests
HYDERABAD: Activists of the AP Rythu Sangham on Monday staged State-wide 
dharnas, ‘rasta roko’ and ‘rail roko’ demonstrations protesting the shortage 
of fertilizers, seeds and diesel. A press release here said the protests 
were organised at the mandal centres of Kurnool, Chittoor, Prakasam, Guntur, 
Nalgonda, Kadapa and Karimnagar districts. –Special Correspondent


http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/03/stories/2008070355990300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Farmers stage protest
ADILABAD: Farmers in Adilabad mandal on Wednesday staged a protest supported 
by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) on non availability of fertilizers at the 
officer of the Joint Director of Agriculture.
Farmers prevented the JDA staff from entering the office. After about 30 
minutes of protest they were taken to One Town police station.-Staff 
Reporter

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/26/stories/2008072657820500.htm

Karnataka

Kolar farmers protest
Staff Correspondent
KOLAR: Led by Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS), scores of farmers laid 
siege to the office of the Joint Director of Agriculture here on Friday 
protesting against the alleged shortage of fertilizer in the district.
The activists resorted to dharna in front of the official’s chamber blocking 
movement of the officer and other staff. Although agricultural operations 
picked up in the district because of rainfall in the last few days, there 
was no sufficient supply of DAP and Complex fertilizers, KPRS taluk 
president Holur Shankar said.
He said the State Government had grossly neglected the district in this 
regard.
“If farmers did not get required fertilizer immediately, they can’t sow ragi 
as humidity in the soil may dry up,” he said.
Reacting to the agitation, in-charge Joint Director H. Subbaiah told 
presspersons that the supply of fertilizer to the district was hit because 
of shortage of diesel.
Many Kolar-bound trucks carrying the manure which left Chennai were held up 
midway because of diesel crisis, he said.
The supply position was expected to improve by Monday, Mr. Subbaiah said.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/22/stories/2008072255040400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

DMDK protest on July 27
CHENNAI: The Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam (DMDK) will organise a 
protest on July 27 in Thanjavur against the Tamil Nadu government’s handling 
of the farmers’ problems, according to a press release issued by the party. 
In the release, DMDK leader Vijayakant said non-availability of fertilisers, 
irrigation and electricity was resulting in heavy losses for farmers in the 
Thanjavur region. — Special Correspondent

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/23/stories/2008072355090300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Khammam

Protest against scarcity of fertilizers
Staff Reporter
KHAMMAM: The Communist Party of India (CPI ) district unit workers on 
Tuesday put the office of the Joint Director of Agriculture under lock after 
calling the department employees out of their chambers as part of their 
protest against the short supply of fertilizers. Even the Joint Director of 
the Department, Syed Jalaluddin Hussain, came out of the office as desired 
by the protesters. The protest left the functioning of the office paralysed 
for a major part of the day.
The CPI leaders complained that the fertilizer stocks were being diverted to 
black market thus resulting in scarcity. They flayed the government for 
failing to streamline the fertilizer supply despite the fact that the kharif 
operations gained momentum.
Addressing the protesters, CPI district secretary Kunamneni Sambhasiva Rao 
said that the farmers were forced to buy fertilizers in the black market.
The Andhra Pradesh Ryothu Sangham members, who also joined the protest in a 
big way confronted with the police which led to mild tension. Khammam DSP 
Rameshaiah pacified the farmers by assuring them of steps to solve the 
problem.
Lathi-charge
The police resorted to lathi-charge to quell farmers protesting against the 
fertilizer scarcity in Yellandu town. Four persons were injured.
Backed by all political parties, the farmers squatted on the road. They 
complained that the fertilizer outlets failed to meet the demand. In 
Bhadrachalm town also farmers staged protests on the issue. In Julurpadu 
town, farmers thronged the fertilizer outlets in a big way following 
information that fresh stock arrived in the day. The police intervention 
helped in distributing the stocks without any disturbances.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/18/america/LA-Agentina-Farm-Crisis.php

Argentina's president drops export tax hike in face of protests, Senate 
rejection

The Associated Press
Published: July 18, 2008

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: President Cristina Fernandez canceled a widely 
protested farm export tax hike on Friday following months of protest and a 
stunning rejection by the Senate.
Cabinet Minister Alberto Fernandez told reporters at a news conference that 
the government will comply with a Senate vote on Thursday rejecting the tax 
package. The Senate vote itself was not enough to cancel the tax hike 
because it has been issued by executive order.
The president announced the sliding-scale export taxes in March, hoping they 
would hold down prices by encouraging farmers to sell grains locally rather 
than take advantage of soaring export prices.
Farmers revolted, staging a series of food and transport strikes that 
disrupted the economy and eroded the president's popularity.
Farm leaders welcomed cancellation of tax hike.

"The conflict is over," said Luciano Miguens, head of the Argentina's Rural 
Society, to local television station C5N.
Wednesday's early morning Senate vote against the tax increase created 
divisions in Fernandez's Peronist party and her broader coalition, which 
controls the chamber.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/americas/2008/06/20/161887/Argentine%2Dfarmers.htm

Argentine farmers reject tax bill, extend protests

By Helen Popper, Reuters
Friday, June 20, 2008

BUENOS AIRES -- Argentine farmers vowed on Wednesday to continue protesting 
a soy export tax, extending a bitter three-month dispute with the government 
that had seemed to abate earlier in the day.
Center-left President Cristina Fernandez rallied thousands of supporters in 
the capital on Wednesday afternoon after moving to appease farmers by asking 
Congress to ratify her controversial soy tax. Farm leaders rejected the 
president's soy export tax bill because it was presented to lawmakers for a 
"yes" or "no" vote without any possibility of modifying the tax, which they 
say could put small growers out of business.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/209621,protests-in-argentine-towns-support-farmers-against-government.html

Protests in Argentine towns support farmers against government
Posted : Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:28:02 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : America (World)

Buenos Aires - Large numbers of demonstrators in small towns around 
Argentina's farming areas Monday expressed support for the farmers' protest 
over higher export tariffs and demanded a new agricultural policy. 
Businesses closed in many towns in the provinces of Santa Fe, Cordoba and 
Entre Rios in support of the farmers' strike.
At the main rally before scores of thousands of people in Armstrong, in the 
province of Santa Fe, Argentine Agrarian Federation (FAA) Eduardo Buzzi said 
the protest will persist "as long as necessary."
There were other rallies in Reconquista (Santa Fe), San Pedro (Buenos Aires) 
and Gualeguaychu (Entre Rios).
A first round of strikes in March followed the government's raising of 
average export taxes on soya from 35 to 44 per cent. The farmers suspended 
the protests to allow talks with the government.
But just last week, the government included the same numbers in a new set of 
policies - although it set a tax ceiling that would lower the tariff 
percentage rate if world prices rise above the ceiling.
Buzzi - the head of an organization that brings together some 100,000 small 
agricultural producers - said the agricultural policies of the governments 
of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and of her husband and 
predecessor Nestor Kirchner (2003-2007) "are an obstacle" for the country's 
development.
"We know when (the protest) started, but we do not know when it will end. We 
are very patient," said another protest leader, Alfredo De Angeli.
The crisis in one of Argentina's top economic sectors has been brewing since 
March, when an increase in export tariffs for soya and sunflower went into 
effect in March, tying tariffs to international market prices.
The positions of the government and agricultural producers have remained far 
apart.
In March, a complete blockade of agricultural production caused severe food 
shortages in large urban areas and provoked traffic problems. Earlier this 
month, farmers opted to block the export of cereal and other key products, 
like soya.
In their third protest, farmers again took to the roads last week. Although 
their leaders asked that they not disturb traffic, the passage of trucks 
carrying agricultural produce was blocked in some areas.
In a strike that was set to end Monday but could be prolonged, farmers were 
blocking the sale of cereal and oil-based crops for export, and they curbed 
the sale of cattle for meat.
After years of meagre earnings, Argentina's farmers don't want the export 
duties to cut into their profits just as they have begun to see more money 
flowing in with higher world food prices.
The halt to agricultural exports has proved expensive for the government 
because a large part of its income comes from export duties.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4587279a12.html

Argentines protest govt's handling of farmers
Reuters | Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Reuters
PROTESTS: Thousands of Argentines have taken to the streets to protest 
against the government's handling of a tense three-month standoff with 
farmers over export taxes.

Thousands of Argentines have taken to the streets to protest against the 
government's handling of a tense three-month standoff with farmers over 
export taxes.
Chanting "Argentina!" as passing drivers honked horns, protesters gathered 
in several Buenos Aires neighbourhoods after a close ally of President 
Cristina Fernandez accused farmers and political rivals of plotting to 
topple her administration.
"I'm here for social peace because I want them to stop lying to us," said 
Ines, 45, in the middle-class district of Caballito as demonstrators waved 
the blue-and-white national flag and banged pots and pans.
Similar scenes played out in other cities in the South American country, one 
of the world's top exporters of soy, corn, wheat and beef.
Even though it was a national holiday, farmers in rural areas continued to 
block roads so that trucks carrying grains could not reach port as the 
conflict over taxes on soy shipments dragged on.
Violence flared at a highway blockade near the town of Gualeguaychu on 
Saturday after military police used batons to clear the road and arrested a 
prominent farm leader.
The unrest led farmers to announce a fresh freeze on grain sales until 
Wednesday, when pro-government groups plan to rally in front of the 
presidential palace.
Farm leaders have vowed to stage "a day of protest" the same day, setting 
the stage for further tension in an increasingly bitter conflict that has 
eroded Fernandez's popularity and raised fears about an economic slowdown.
Controversial government ally and former official Luis D'Elia said farmers 
and rival politicians were conspiring to oust the centre-left president by 
weakening the economy.
"We're witnessing an economic coup attempt," D'Elia, who has been involved 
in several scuffles during the conflict, told a news conference.
Fernandez, who took office six months ago, has also likened the farmers to 
coup leaders, invoking memories of decades of political instability in the 
country.
Close to midnight, D'Elia led government supporters who gathered in front of 
the presidential palace and he played down the street protests.
"The upper classes were the focus of it," he said.
Argentina's fertile Pampas plains are an important international source of 
grains and the country accounts for nearly 3 per cent of global food 
exports.
The Argentine economy has roared for six years, partly due to huge Asian and 
European demand for its top crop soybeans, which accounted for nearly a 
quarter of export earnings last year.
But the bounty has set farmers on a collision course with Fernandez, who has 
her support base in poor urban areas, and the prolonged dispute has cast a 
cloud over robust growth in Latin America's No 3 economy.
Some recent surveys have shown a slowdown in consumer spending since the 
conflict erupted.
One of the government's toughest challenges is fighting inflation, which is 
hitting poor Argentines the hardest.
Fernandez defends high export taxes and limits on foreign sales of farm 
goods as a way to battle rising food prices in a country where one in four 
people lives in poverty.
The wave of strikes and roadblocks started in mid-March after she raised soy 
export taxes. She said it would help redistribute wealth, but it was the 
last straw for farmers.
Farm leaders said they did not want to fuel the confrontation.
"We're asking for a signal from the president ... as soon as there's a 
positive signal, we'll lift the strike," Luciano Miguens, president of the 
Argentine Rural Society, said.
Several rounds of negotiations with the government have failed to reach 
agreement and officials have refused to make far-reaching changes to the 
export tax system.

http://archive.gulfnews.com/world/Argentina/10221278.html

Riot police break up farmers' protest in Argentina
AP
Published: June 15, 2008, 09:09
Buenos Aires: Argentine police in riot gear broke up a farmers' highway 
blockade on Saturday, briefly arresting 19 demonstrators including a 
prominent leader of a three-month protest against an increase in grain 
export taxes.

The arrests near the city of Gualeguaychu and Argentina's river border with 
Uruguay were broadcast on national television and threatened to inflame a 
tense standoff between farmers and President Cristina Fernandez's 
centre-left government.

Strike leader Alfredo de Angeli and the other demonstrators were later freed 
following noisy protests in the capital demanding their release, including 
one protest outside the government house. Riot police brought in water tanks 
and monitored the demonstration, but there were no clashes in Buenos Aires.

Cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez accused striking farmers of "generating a 
climate of growing public unrest."

The crisis was touched off by the president's decision this spring to raise 
export taxes on grains more than 10 per cent, saying farmers have benefited 
from rising world prices and the profits should be spread around to help 
poor Argentines.

Growers countered that they need to reinvest the profits and the higher 
taxes make it difficult for them to make a living.

Three months of bitter protests and road blockades have emptied supermarket 
shelves and led to shortages of meat, oil, flour, vegetables and fuel. Farm 
goods are the largest source of foreign currency in Argentina, which is the 
world's third biggest exporter of soy and corn.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/americas/2008/06/07/159924/Food%2Dshortages.htm

Food shortages a threat amid third Argentine farm protest

By Nicolas Misculin, Reuters
Saturday, June 7, 2008

BUENOS AIRES -- Roadblocks manned by hundreds of truckers on Thursday in 
Argentina's heartland threatened to revive food shortages as a deadlock 
between protesting farmers and the government dragged on.
Farmers are staging their third strike in nearly three months over higher 
export taxes on the country's top crop, soybeans. They are withholding 
grains from market through Sunday, and some truckers frustrated with the 
halt to commerce have blocked highways to press for a solution.
Fewer products are arriving at the Buenos Aires Central Market, where most 
of the city's fruits and vegetables are sold.
"There's been a small drop, about 70 percent of goods are arriving," a 
source at the wholesale market said on condition of anonymity.
Farmers blocked highways during their first, wide-scale strike in March, 
sparking shortages of such staples as beef and dairy products on supermarket 
shelves. They have since changed tactics to avoid alienating city dwellers.
"The situation has grown complicated for the truckers. The government should 
pay more attention. This is the result of not having resolved the farm 
problem," Eduardo Buzzi, president of the Argentine Agrarian Federation, 
told reporters.
Television images showed hundreds of trucks parked on rural highways, and 
dairy sector leaders warned that this new twist to the farm conflict could 
spoil millions of liters of milk.
"This strike on the highways blocks all economic activity and once again 
threatens to cause shortages and higher prices. This has become a strike 
against the Argentine people," Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo told 
local radio.
The minister later said in a televised press conference that the government 
would not cede ground on the rate of grains export taxes, but was willing to 
discuss future farm policy once the strike ended.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080351360300.htm

Farmers protest poor seed quality
Staff Correspondent

Barren: Farmers from Mathhihalli in Arsikere taluk displaying failed potato 
crop in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Hassan on Saturday.
HASSAN: Farmers from Mathhihalli in Gandsi hobli of Arsikere taluk staged a 
dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner here on Saturday 
protesting against the poor quality of seeds supplied by a well-known 
company recently. The seeds had reportedly failed to bear crop. The farmers 
also exhibited samples of the failed crop during their protest.
Money spent
They said potato crop on 250 acres of land in the village had failed. They 
had reportedly spent Rs. 10,000 an acre on the purchase of seeds, 
fertilizers and pesticides. Nanjaiah, Chandrasekhara, Gangaraju, Rangaswamy 
and Manjashetty — all farmers — in a representation to the Deputy 
Commissioner, appealed for an immediate assessment of the crop loss and 
sought compensation.
In Hassan district, potato is grown on more than 40,000 hectares of land. 
This is a major commercial crop in the district. In Hassan taluk too, the 
crop has failed. In other parts of the district it has been affected by 
blight.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/13/stories/2008081353430300.htm

Karnataka - Hassan

Activists plan indefinite protest
Staff Correspondent
It will be held outside Deputy Commissioner’s office from August 16
Protest against sale of spurious seed potato

HASSAN: Activists of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Hitharakshana Vedike will 
resort to an indefinite dharna in front of the office of the Deputy 
Commissioner from August 16 in protest against the sale of spurious seed 
potato by traders, which resulted in the failure of potato crop in the 
district.
President of the vedike Mylanahalli Manje Gowda and secretary B.M. Ranga 
Swamy, in a press release here on Tuesday, said that despite the fact that 
traders had supplied spurious seed potato to farmers, that led to the 
complete failure of potato crop, the Deputy Commissioner as well as the 
agriculture officers had failed to take action against them.
Hence, they were resorting to an indefinite dharna, they added.
Mr. Gowda said the Government should direct traders to pay compensation to 
farmers and that the Agriculture, Horticulture and Soil testing officials 
also be held responsible for causing farmers loss.
Compensation sought
The Government should pay them compensation of Rs. 25,000 an acre and the 
district administration should seal the cold storages owned by Punjab-based 
merchants, he demanded.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=95805

Bulgaria Milk Producers Block Road in Protest, Leaders Get Arrested
5 August 2008, Tuesday

Bulgaria: Over 60 milk producers blocked the road connecting the cities of 
Stara Zagora and Kazanluk in Central Bulgaria, which led to the arrest of 
three of their leaders as they had no official permission for such measures.

The farmers from Stara Zagora, Nova Zagora, Chirpan, Radnevo, and Kazanluk 
blocked the road in protest against the lack of proper subsidies from the 
Agriculture Ministry.

They insisted they should get at an annual subsidy of BGN 0,2 per liter of 
milk and BGN 300 per cow, and pointed out they were decided by the previous 
Agriculture Minister Nihat Kabil, who promised them support.

"There is not one of us who is not deeply in debt to the banks. We have even 
mortgaged our cattle in order to save our farms", the farmers explained.

As they had no official permission to block the Stara Zagora-Kazanluk road, 
the Chair of the Milk Producers' Association in Stara Zagora Tancho Kolev 
and two other leaders were arrested.

Kolev himself has a loan of BGN 100 000 and has mortgaged 100 cows out of a 
total of 200 in his farm. The average annual indebtedness of one milk 
producers is estimated at BGN 50 000 to 100 000.

Earlier on Tuesday the Chair of the National Association of Milk Producers, 
Adrian Tsakonski announced the milk producers from across Bulgaria were to 
go on an effective strike, starting Wednesday over the government's policy 
in the sector and unpaid subsidies

The farmers have threatened to block the capital Sofia with tractors and 
cattle, and to send cow heads to the three-way coalition government in order 
to force it to take measures to address their woes.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=95840

Bulgaria Milk Producers' Protests Lead to Confrontations and Arrests
6 August 2008, Wednesday

Protest of Bulgarian milk producers Wednesday have lead to arrest and 
confrontations Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)

Seven of the protesting milk producers have been arrested Wednesday near the 
village of Altimir in the area of the city of Vratsa and have been taken to 
the police precinct in Biyala Slatina.

The arrests happened after confrontations between the police and the farmers 
when protesters tried to block the road leading to the village.

The authorities have declared the blocking of the road illegal. In the mean 
time the demonstrations have moved to Biyala Slatina where protesters gather 
in front of the police precinct building.

Milk producers have also staged rallies Wednesday in the area of Veliko 
Turnovo, near the village of Sheremetiya where slight confrontations have 
also been reported.

The rally began around 10:30 am. The brass orchestra from the town of 
Zlataritsa "The Reporters" performed in support of the protesters.

The main road from Sofia to Varna has been blocked twice for about 5 minutes 
each time when herds of sheep, goats and cattle crossed the road.

The half hour blocking of the road from Stara Zagora to Kazanlak Wednesday 
went without incidents despite the prohibition to hold farmers' rallies in 
the area of Stara Zagora. Tuesday the Stara Zagora police have detained for 
a short time three protestors.

The framers stated that they remain prepared to continue the protests at 
least until the upcoming Thursday Cabinet meeting. They have stated that 
they would stop the rallies if the Cabinet decided Thursday to pay the BGN 
60 M promised by Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Plugchieva. If the decision 
was not made the milk producers had threatened to travel Sofia next week.

Monio Hristov, Secretary of the Bulgarian Agrarian Union Party had 
personally supported the protestors from the Stara Zagora area along with 
the Milk Producers Association from Plovdiv.

The milk producers demand a subsidy of BGN 0.20 for good quality milk and 
EUR 140 per year per cow, low interest loans from the State Fund 
"Agriculture" and their own management of the pastures, which are currently 
managed by the local municipalities.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=94052

Bulgaria Milk Producers Out on Protest before Agriculture Ministry
11 June 2008, Wednesday

Bulgaria Milk Producers Out on Protest before Agriculture Ministry: About 50 
milk producers from northern Bulgaria protested before the building of the 
Ministry of Agriculture over the insufficient subsidies for the animal 
breeding.

Adrian Tsakonski, Chair of the Milk Producers' Association, said about 100 
000 animals had died in the farms around the country since the beginning of 
the year because the owners did not have enough money to feed them.

Tsakonski also said a large number of agricultural producers had gone 
bankrupt because of the low wholesale prices and insufficient subsidies, and 
the high forage prices.

Representatives of the protesting farmers met with the Minister of 
Agriculture Valeri Tzetanov but the two sides failed to reach an agreement 
over the subsidies.

Tzetanov announced that by June 25 the milk producers would receive BGN 20 M 
under the de minimis scheme for cattle forage.

He also promised to honor the agreement that the farmers reached with the 
previous Minister Nihat Kabil, according to which the state is going to 
subsidize every liter of high-quality milk with BGN 0,2.

Tzetanov vowed to keep this promise even though in his words this increased 
subsidy contradicted EU law.

"It is not clear for me how the signing of such an agreement was allowed but 
now I will have to comply with it", the Minister said explaining that the 
BGN 1,4 M for this subsidy was available but that the European Commission 
had not replied yet whether Bulgaria could use this money for subsidizing 
the milk producers.

The country might be fined BGN 400 000 if it subsidizes the farmers without 
an agreement by Brussels, Tzvetanov said.

"This does not matter, the main thing is that we will be violating the 
transparency rules in this way", the Minister stated.

The milk producers vowed to hold another protest next week as their demands 
for higher subsidies were not met on Wednesday.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=95697

Bulgaria Agriculture Minister to Meet with Protesting Framers
1 August 2008, Friday

Bulgaria Agriculture Minister to Meet with Protesting Framers: Valeri 
Tsvetanov, Bulgarian Agriculture Minister is going to meet with 
representatives of protesting Bulgarian farmers Friday.

The meeting is to be held in the southern Bulgarian city of Kardzhali.

Cattlemen in Bulgaria are already in their second week of mass protests. 
Their leader Boyko Sinapov has stated that they would conduct talks with the 
Minister only if he would offer them clear, concrete and concise solutions.

According to the protesters, the Cabinet had funds for them, but does not 
want to pay and assist them.

At 11:00 am Friday the cattlemen are once again going to block the road from 
Kardzhali to Dzhebel and not only for one hour as they have done previously, 
but for an indefinite time period.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=96077

Bulgaria Milk Producers Stage Yet Another Protest Downtown Sofia
13 August 2008, Wednesday

Chair of the National Association of Milk Producers, Adrian Tsakonski 
declared they are to cease protests as soon as they get the subsidies 
recently promised by the government. Photo by Nadya Kotseva (Sofia Photo 
Agency)

Bulgarian milk producers are to stage yet another protest over unpaid 
subsidies in front of the Agriculture Ministry in downtown Sofia on 
Wednesday.

According to the permit, issued by the capital's Municipality, the farmers 
are not allowed to take cattle with them during the rally.

The protesters call on the government to provide a subsidy of BGN 0,20 per 
litre of milk produced, as well as EUR 140 one time financial support per 
animal a year.

The government decided to fulfill all their demands by allocating BGN 60 M 
but said that a notification from the EC is needed before the money reaches 
the milk producers.

"We will end our protests immediately as soon as the government fulfills its 
promises," Chair of the National Association of Milk Producers, Adrian 
Tsakonski declared.

Romanian farmers are also expected to back Wednesday's protest actions of 
the Bulgarians.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=96315

Bulgaria Farmers Stage Mass Protest at Shipka Pass
21 August 2008, Thursday

Adrian Tsakonski, the leader of the Bulgarian Milk Producers' Association 
expects over 500 protesters to show up at Shipka. Photo by Nadiya Kotseva 
(Sofia Photo Agency)

Bulgarian farmers from all over the country are gathering Thursday at the 
Shipka mountain pass to stage yet another protest over unpaid subsidies.

Farmers from Romania have also joined the demonstration in sign of support 
for their Bulgarian colleagues.

Currently over 150 farmers have arrived at the location and there is 
increased police presence in the area. The farmers including fish-breeders, 
shepherds and poultry farmers are all there to support the Bulgarian milk 
producers.

The Mayor of Gabrovo said that negotiations are underway in order to prevent 
the blocking of the road.

Wednesday, Adrian Tsakonski, the leader of the Bulgarian Milk Producers' 
Association stated before Darik radio that he expected over 500 protesters 
to show up at Shipka.

The last protest of the milk producers took place on August 13 in Sofia, in 
front of the building of the Agriculture Ministry. The very next day the 
milk producers received their subsidies for March, however, those for April, 
May, June and July remain unpaid.

http://www.ttc.org/200808211323.m7ldn8122127.htm

BULGARIAN FARMERS BLOCK ROADS TO PROTEST DELAYED SUBSIDIES
Received Thursday, 21 August 2008 13:23:00 GMT
SOFIA, Aug 21, 2008 (AFP) - Several hundred Bulgarian farmers blocked major 
roads across the country Thursday in their latest protest against a delay in 
agricultural subsidy payments, national radio and witnesses reported.
    Over 300 milk producers and cattle breeders blocked the Shipka mountain 
pass in central Stara Planina mountain, briefly halting traffic through the 
busy pass between Bulgaria's north and south, an AFP photographer at the 
site said.
    The road was reopened following brief clashes with police but nobody was 
seriously injured, the protographer said.
    The farmers denounced the government for failing to aid their 
crisis-ridden sector, hit by soaring fodder and fuel prices.
    "The milk-production sector is on the brink of collapse," their slogans 
read.
    Meanwhile, the national radio reported that dozens of farmers formed a 
human chain to block a major road linking the capital Sofia and the Black 
Sea resort of Varna, near the southeastern city of Targovishte.
    The farmers are protesting against a delay in the payment of state 
subsidies for high-quality milk and demanding aid to buy feed for their 
animals, which they say are starving.
    They are also pressing for a VAT cut for food products.
    The Bulgarian government recently said it is prepared to pay 30 million 
euros (45 million dollars) in subsidies to milk producers, to end their 
month-long demonstrations, as long as Brussels gives its approval.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23870306-26103,00.html

Farmers protest over wheat exports
Font Size: Decrease Increase
Print Page: Print
June 16, 2008
MORE than 500 farmers have begun marching to Parliament House in Canberra to 
protest plans to abolish the single desk wheat export market.
The Federal Government, with the support of the Liberal Party, is proposing 
to deregulate the bulk wheat export market by opening it up to competition 
from July 1.
Legislation, due to be considered by the Senate today, is being opposed by 
The Nationals, the Liberal's coalition partner.
The marchers are being led from old parliament house by a farmer playing the 
bagpipes.
Many of the farmers are carrying placards with messages for both the 
Government and the Liberals.
One placard read: "What's worse than weevils in wheat - rats in parliament."

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storyPage.aspx?storyId=115833

Negros Occ farmers stage ‘lightning protest’ outside Palace
By NADIA TRINIDAD
ABS-CBN News
Some 20 farmers from Negros Occidental staged a "lightning protest" outside 
Malacañang’s New Executive Building Tuesday.
The protesters slipped past presidential guards aboard jeepneys and held a 
picket outside the Palace complex calling for land reform.
The farmers went to Manila to seek an audience with President Arroyo 
regarding her supposed promise to distribute her family's haciendas to 
farmer-beneficiaries under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.
They said they now want the president to order the Department of Agrarian 
Reform to make a valuation of the 157-hectare Hacienda Bacan in Barangay 
Guintubhan, Isabela owned by First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo so it 
can be distributed to some 67 farmer-petitioners, 30 of whom belong to Task 
Force Mapalad.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/01/stories/2008050161750600.htm

Farmers stage protest
Staff Reporter

novel agitation: Farmers taking out a demonstration march in Manapparai on 
Wednesday.
MANAPPARAI: Members of the Matthiya Podhu Thozhilalar Sangam (MPTS) staged a 
novel protest here on Wednesday, against the frequent power trips in 
Manapparai taluk, affecting agricultural operation.
While a woman, Dhanabakkiam of Vaiyampatti village, was singing odes on the 
woes of farmers in the wake of the frequent and prolonged power trips, a 
group of farmers who were marching behind were carrying a few hurricane 
lamps, dried sugarcane and withered plantain. Raising slogans, they urged 
the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board to ensure uninterrupted power supply to 
save the standing crops of sugarcane and plantain. They marched down about 
three km from Pothamettupatti to the office of the Executive Engineer, TNEB, 
here where they staged a demonstration in support of their demand.
Speaking on the occasion, the founder president of MPTS N. Chinnadurai said 
that although the groundwater table had stepped up following the sharp 
showers and floods last month, farmers were unable to utilise it for 
irrigating their standing crops due to unscheduled power trips.
A farmer, Murugesan of Veerapur village said that sugarcane on his five 
acres of land was languishing for water. The trip which commenced at 5 a.m. 
lasted even up to 1 p.m., and the crop was withering away under the 
scorching sun.
The Union secretary of the MPTS, M. Chokkalingam, who led the agitation, 
said that farmers, who had taken loans from various banks and financial 
institutions, were now left in the lurch due to intermittent and unscheduled 
power cuts.
The General Secretary of the MPTS S. S. Subramaniam said that the TNEB 
should take all measures to ensure uninterrupted power supply to 
agricultural pumpsets.

http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/30042008/323/zimbabwe-tobacco-farmers-protest-inflation-soars.html

Wednesday April 30, 01:26 PM
Zimbabwe tobacco farmers protest as inflation soars
By Godfrey Marawanyika

Click to enlarge photo
HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwean farmers tore up their tobacco crop in protest on 
the auction floors of Harare on Wednesday as state price controls to combat 
hyperinflation threatened to wipe out their profits.
"The price is useless, I would rather keep my tobacco and sell to buyers 
from Malawi or Zambia," muttered Ottilia Mavhunga, a farmer from Karoi, a 
town in northern Zimbabwe, as she prepared to take her bales of tobacco 
away.
The tobacco trading season -- once a key feature of Zimbabwe's business 
calendar -- had to be called off for the second time in as many weeks after 
farmers pulled out of the sale, citing low prices given by auctioneers.
Some farmers tore up their bales and flicked tobacco leaves across the floor 
as other ripped off tags placed on their bales by the auctioneers that 
showed prices as low as one dollar (0.64 euros) per kilogramme (2.2 pounds).
Production of tobacco, once Zimbabwe's top foreign exchange crop, declined 
from a record high of 236,130 tonnes in 2000, the year controversial land 
reforms were launched, to just 68,800 tonnes last year.
Only around 80 bales went under the hammer on the auction floors -- among 
the largest in Africa -- before the auction had to be cancelled on 
Wednesday.
Berison Mutemeri, a farmer from Banket, northwest of Harare, said the price 
offered by the government was disappointing.
"How can maize fetch much higher than tobacco? It (Frankfurt: A0MLX5 - news) 
costs two billion Zimbabwe dollars to transport a single bale and we get 
this," he said. A bale weighs on average between 60 and 80 kilogrammes.
The state offered farmers 70 million Zimbabwe dollars per kilogramme, or 
around one US dollar under an exchange rate that is a tiny fraction of the 
black market rate in a country where inflation is at 165,000 percent.
Agriculture Minister Sylvester Nguni told tobacco farmers at the auction 
that the price was fair.
"It is my conviction that this level of support will adequately reward the 
farmer for both effort and quality and make him or her go back to the land."
Authorities have kept the official exchange rate at 30,000 Zimbabwe dollars 
for one US dollar since September last year but on the thriving black market 
one US dollar can be exchanged for around 100 million Zimbabwe dollars.
The 70 million dollar rate offered to tobacco farmers was a compromise.
Buyers at the Tobacco Sales Floor in Harare said farmers should not despair 
over the opening prices as rates were expected to improve during the sale.
Around 400 farmers waited as officials from government, buyers and farmers' 
representatives met to try to resolve the price dispute.
Two smaller auction floors in Harare later opened, state television said.
Central Bank (CBSU.PK - news) governor Gideon Gono was expected to make an 
announcement later on Wednesday about monetary policy that could address 
farmers concerns, officials told AFP on the auction floors.
David Mupamhadzi, chief economist at the Zimbabwe Allied Banking Group, said 
the government should let market forces determine the prices.
"There is a need to move away from this multiple exchange rate. Prices 
should be market-determined, all these problems we have in the economy are 
as a result of controls," Mupamhadzi said.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/28/stories/2008042856650400.htm

DYFI protest
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: DYFI activists will undertake fast at district centres 
on Monday to press their demand for change in the Central foodgrains policy, 
particularly in respect of Kerala. A DYFI release said here on Sunday that 
the fast before the Raj Bhavan would be inaugurated by DYFI national 
president P. Sreeramakrishnan. — Special Correspondent
) category in the State.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,,12215_cid_3381057,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

| 02.06.2008 | 22:00 UTC
German farmers block dairies in milk price protest
German farmers have stepped up protests to back up their demands for a major 
increase in the prices they get for milk. Farmers used tractors and other 
vehicles to stage blockades at a number of major dairies across the country. 
Farmers have been refusing to deliver milk to dairies for the past week. The 
German farmers' association, the BDM, is demanding a minimum 43 euro cents 
per litre of milk. It says the current prices of between 25 and 35 cents a 
litre don't allow farmers to cover their costs.

http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-06/01/content_8292432.htm

Dutch dairy farmers seize processing plants to protest low milk prices
     BRUSSELS, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Dutch dairy farmers have occupied nine 
dairy processing plants to protest sharp falls in milk prices, Radio 
Netherlands reported Saturday.
    Operations in the plants were forced to stop, and supermarkets could be 
left without dairy products as a result.
    The farmers said they were preparing long-term actions to secure fixed 
dairy prices. They complained that dairy companies are now buying milk at a 
price lower than the cost.
    Due to increased supply, the milk price in the Netherlands fell from 
just under 50 euro cents a liter late last year to between 30 and 34 cents. 
But the cost of producing milk has risen dramatically as a result of steep 
rises in the price of transport, energy, fertilizers and fodder.
    No hoarding has yet been reported, Radio Netherlands said. The farmers 
are buying existing milk supplies and handing them out for free to the 
public. Similar actions were recently staged in Belgium, Germany and Latvia.

 http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3376106,00.html

Agriculture | 31.05.2008
After Germany, Milk Protest Spills Into the Baltics

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Got milk?

About 1,000 people spilled into Riga's Dome Square on Friday for splashes of 
unpasteurized milk as farmers rallied against the EU's decision to raise 
milk quotas.
The protest came as milk supplies tightened in Germany on the fourth day of 
a boycott by dairy farmers, who are dumping milk rather than sell it for 
prices they say are too low.
Latvian farmers fear that the nation's dairy industry, which employs 60,000 
people, will follow the sugar industry that collapsed after the Baltic 
nation of 2.3 million joined the EU in 2004.
Protesting farmers demanded equal subsidies for all EU farmers and demanded 
that Agriculture Minister Martins Roze quit.
"They don't know in Europe where we are, and who else should care about it 
other than our government?" farmer Anita Bordovska told Deutsche 
Presse-Agentur dpa.
A caricature in the Diena daily on Friday depicted Roze as a doctor who 
tells a sick cow lying in bed, "The EU doctors' council decided to amputate 
your udder, so you'd feel better."
Soft landing?
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Latvian 
farmers said they'd rather give their milk for free than at bargain prices
Since the EU has decided to scrap all milk quotas in 2015, it proposes 
raising the quotas every year until 2014 in an effort to provide a "soft 
landing" for milk farmers.
As a way to prevent dairy farmers' unrest, Latvia and Lithuania asked the 
European Commission -- the executive arm of the 27-nation bloc -- two weeks 
ago to subsidise milk exports to Russia to keep farmers in business.
The EC said that would not be the right move.
Writing on his blog before the protest, Roze said he supports the 
demonstration. Later, he added he wouldn't resign because that "would be 
running away from responsibility."
Unequal partners
Government officials complained that the Baltic nation receives the least EU 
farm subsidies -- even less than EU newcomers Romania and Bulgaria.
Farmers agree with the complaint, but blame the Latvian government for 
providing outdated data on farms and farmland.
The protest organizers -- the Latvian Dairy Farmers Union -- warned that 
more protests may follow.
In the 1990s, Latvians stood in long lines outside grocery stores for a loaf 
of bread as the small Baltic nation struggled for its independence from the 
Soviet Union.

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=40836

Published On: 2008-06-12
Metropolitan
Fertiliser price hike protested
Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh Krishak Samity (BKS), a platform of farmers, yesterday condemned 
the government for increasing the price of fertiliser.

In a press release BKS President Maulana Ahmedur Rahman and General 
Secretary Morshed also called for reducing the price of fertiliser.

They said the farmers would be discouraged to grow more crops if the price 
of fertiliser is increased.

They also demanded distribution of agricultural inputs through Bangladesh 
Agricultural Development Corporation.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhgbojojidmh/rss2/

IFA mounts pig meat protest at Lidl supermarket
11/06/2008 - 11:20:53
The Irish Farmers Association is picketing a Lidl supermarket in Co Kildare 
today as part of a protest over the sale of imported pig meat.

The IFA says a survey by Bord Bia to monitor the Quality Assurance logo in 
supermarkets found that Lidl was selling no Irish pig meat.

As a result, farmers are picketing the Lidl outlet in Newbridge and are also 
vowing to target other retailers that are not supporting Irish producers.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080612-142191/House-defers-vote-on-CARP-extension-amid-raging-protest

House defers vote on CARP extension amid raging protest
By TJ Burgonio, Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:43:00 06/12/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Outraged farmers jumped from the gallery and yelled at 
lawmakers on Tuesday night in protest of the move to defer putting to a vote 
a certified bill extending a key component of the Comprehensive Agrarian 
Reform Program (CARP).
The lawmakers agreed to forgo the vote and instead adopt Resolution No. 21, 
a joint resolution with the Senate maintaining the land acquisition and 
distribution (LAD) component of the CARP until Dec. 31.
The 20-year-old agrarian reform law, touted as the centerpiece of a program 
to free farmers from the bondage of the soil, expired on June 10.
The House adjourned Wednesday without approving the bill extending the LAD 
for five years from June 10 to cover the acquisition and distribution of at 
least 1.1 million hectares.
Minutes before the resolution was adopted at 9 p.m. Tuesday, farmers 
fighting for agrarian reform stirred a commotion at the plenary hall.
A couple of farmers jumped from the gallery onto the plenary floor and 
briefly spoke at the rostrum before security men grabbed and hauled them 
out.
At the same time, a group of other pro-CARP supporters unfolded posters and 
shouted slogans as stunned lawmakers watched from their seats.
“Shame on you! You’re all landowners. That’s the bias of this Congress,” 
agrarian reform advocate Ric Reyes hollered as he was being led out of the 
hall by security men.
Lost opportunity
The stunt happened shortly after Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros 
asked Majority Leader Arthur Defensor if the chamber would put the bill to a 
vote this week. Defensor replied that he wasn’t sure.
“I’m not OK with that. But what can we do?” Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser 
Pangandaman said in an interview on Tuesday night, referring to the House 
move.
Hontiveros said: “We not only lost a good opportunity. We let go of a clear 
advantage and a fighting chance for a controversial bill.”
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, one of the authors, viewed the adoption of the 
resolution as an “initial victory” for the farmers, saying this mandated 
Congress to adopt the extension bill before the end of the year.
If the Senate concurs, it will have the “force of the law,” Lagman said.
Two schools of thought
House Speaker Prospero Nograles sought to mollify the farmers, arguing that 
LAD would expire on Dec. 31 and that Congress has until that time to pass a 
more comprehensive bill, including reforms.
Nograles noted two schools of thought on the expiration of the LAD—one on 
June 10 and another on Dec. 31.
“My legal position is that it won’t expire today but on Dec. 31, 2008. No 
rush to do it now and we will craft a better one with reform amendments 
inside,” he said on Tuesday night.
Straw vote
Earlier, the lawmakers held a straw vote on the bill during an executive 
caucus, with 97 approving and 82 against. Five abstained.
But House leaders decided against putting it to a vote on the floor, saying 
it was “too close to call.” They instead proposed that they adopt a joint 
resolution maintaining the LAD until yearend.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte proposed the adoption of the resolution 
pending the approval of the extension bill, including the amendments, in the 
lower chamber.
“We won the straw vote, but the majority, including Nograles, said it was 
too close to call. They wouldn’t want to risk it on the floor,” Hontiveros 
said. “They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.”
Cheap shot
Party-list representatives of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) bloc 
scoffed at Hontiveros’ claim that they colluded with landed lawmakers to 
“maim, cripple or kill agrarian reform.”
“Hontiveros-Baraquel’s accusation is farthest from the truth. It’s a cheap 
shot at progressive party-list groups made to gain media mileage for the 
extension of the bogus Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program,” 
Representatives Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño of Bayan Muna, Liza Maza of 
Gabriela and Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis said in a statement.
Militants divided on extension
The issue of extending the CARP has divided militant peasant groups in the 
country. One faction objects to an extension, accusing the opposite camp of 
colluding with landowners.
The anti-extension group, which includes the Kilusang Magbubukid ng 
Pilipinas (KMP) and the Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), wanted the 
program scrapped and replaced by their own Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill 
(GARB).
The pro-extension camp, which includes the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga 
Samahang Magsasaka (Pakisama) and other militant organizations affiliated 
with Akbayan, has dismissed the GARB as “confiscatory, unrealistic and 
unconstitutional.”
Hontiveros earlier slammed the “emerging collusion” between landlords in 
Congress and the anti-extension group led by party-list groups of Bayan 
Muna, Gabriela and Anakpawis.
“The similarity in their agenda is revolting. They are doing a very 
synchronized performance to kill agrarian reform,” she said.
Her statement drew the ire of Bayan Muna and its affiliates—KMP, UMA and the 
fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas 
(Pamalakaya).
“Our militant lawmakers effectively exposed the rottenness and bankruptcy of 
the CARP. That’s why Hontiveros and company are embarking on a blatant hate 
campaign drive by misrepresenting progressive lawmakers to the public as 
collaborators of landlord lawmakers in the name of bogus and anti-farmer 
CARP,” said Pamalakaya chair Fernando Hicap.
Church support
The KMP and Pamalakaya called on the Catholic Church to back out from its 
support of an extension.
“The clamor for CARP extension is just a hype courtesy of groups known for 
misleading the fight of farmers for a thoroughgoing land reform program, and 
sad to say the prelates have become the victims of this publicity hype and 
campaign of make-believe,” Hicap and KMP secretary general Danilo Ramos said 
in a joint statement.
They were reacting to a one-page paid advertisement supporting CARP 
extension that came out in the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper and was 
signed by bishops headed by Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the 
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
But Pakisama raised fears of a rise in violence and displacement of farmer 
communities after the House failed to extend the CARP, the funding for which 
expired on Tuesday.
More than 1.2 million hectares of private agricultural lands have yet to be 
distributed, it said. Most of the lands, it said, were in the hands of 
wealthy and powerful landowners who are the most resistant in the 
implementation of the program.
“We fear a rise in agrarian-related violence if the CARP law fails to pass 
because the farmers’ continued landlessness can only bring about more 
discontentment in rural areas. There are already hundreds of cases of 
agrarian violence and a majority of these are related to land disputes and 
distribution,” Pakisama national chair Vic Fabe told reporters.
Insurgency
Worse, the absence of a process to bring about genuine land distribution 
will only force the small farmers into the waiting arms of the insurgency, 
he added.
Fabe noted that the landowners were the very same ones blocking the 
extension of the program in the House.
He said small farmers and national peasant groups were “fighting tooth and 
nail” for the extension of the CARP because of its “social justice and 
redistributive aspects.”
“Landlessness and poverty are the main problems in rural areas and the best 
way to address this is to extend the CARP law with meaningful reforms?” he 
said.
Pakisama and its allied group, Task Force Mapalad, bewailed Congress’ 
decision to postpone discussions on the CARP extension and for the meantime 
extend the Department of Agrarian Reform’s budget for land acquisition and 
distribution until the end of the year.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/08/stories/2008060853290300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Farmers plan series of protests
Staff Reporter
Coimbatore: The Chinniyampalayam Farmers’ Movement for Protection of Living 
Rights has planned to stage a series of agitations, including a two-wheeler 
rally and an en-masse representation to the Collector protesting against the 
proposed move to acquire agricultural lands for the airport expansion.
In a memorandum, president V.C. Jayapal and secretary P. Jagannathan said 
that acquisition of 1025 acres of agricultural land will render the farmers 
refugees in their own land. Meanwhile, the farmers said that a helicopter 
that was on a sortie over the land proposed for acquisition.
Suspecting it to be a sort of survey for the acquisition of lands, the 
farmers waved black flags in protest.
In the wake of these developments, it was decided to sustain the struggle by 
organising a two-wheeler rally and meet the Collector.

http://www.taiwanheadlines.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=122750&CtNode=39

Protest sparks fertilizer price freeze
06/07/2008  (Taiwan News)
The Council of Agriculture yesterday promised to impose a price freeze on 
fertilizers for the next seven months after hundreds of farmers from 
Taiwan's central and southern provinces jointly voiced their anger against 
rocketing prices, by protesting outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei 
earlier in the day.
"I am deeply sympathetic with farmers on the rising fertilizer prices but 
the previous hike in prices was done due to the soaring cost of raw 
materials and energy," COA Chairman Chen Wu-hsiung (陳武雄) said yesterday in 
the Legislative Yuan, explaining why his agency had decided to raise the 
costs of fertilizer on May 30.
Even though fertilizer prices in Taiwan were raised at the end of May, they 
are still among the cheapest in the world, said Chen.
Chen, however, pledged to local farmers that the COA will not launch another 
wave of fertilizer price rises for seven months, even though raw materials 
and fuel prices are predicted to continue to rise.
Chen's pledge came after a total number of around 200 farmers from Taiwan's 
rural areas protested yesterday morning against a 50 to 70 percent increase 
on fertilizer prices over past weeks.
The price hike situation became even worse after torrential rain, that 
lasted for nearly a week, flooded many farming townships in Taiwan's 
southern provinces.
Holding protest banners and slogans, they demanded that the government gives 
subsidies to help them offset costs, and also sets regulations to prevent 
hoarding among suppliers and retailers of fertilizers.
Lu Tung-hsieh, director-general of a farmers association in Pingtung County, 
told reporters that the prices of some of the fertilizers most frequently 
used by local farmers, such as the urea fertilizer, had undergone a nearly 
50 percent hike from NT$350 to NT$510 per pack during the past half month.
If the government does not initiate moves to stop fertilizer prices from 
soaring again, the farmers' group will hold another protest in the near 
future, he noted.
In reaction to the farmers' protest, many members of the opposition 
Democratic Progressive Party caucus showed up outside the Legislative Yuan 
to express their support for local farmers yesterday, including DPP 
Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
The DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) accepted the protesting farmers' 
penned letter, pledging that he will convey the farmers' thoughts to the 
COA.
Ker, at the same time, blasted Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) administration for 
failing to listen to local farmers.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/01/stories/2008070151830500.htm

Karnataka

Tomoto prices crash, farmers protest
KOLAR: Scores of farmers, who had been to Agriculture Produce Marketing 
Committee here on Monday to sell tomato, staged a protest against crash in 
price of tomato. “With 14 kg box of tomato fetching only Rs. 10 to Rs. 15, 
farmers are in distress. The Government should come to the rescue of the 
farmers,” Kempanna, who led the agitation, said.
— Staff Correspondent

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/27/stories/2008062753460400.htm

Statewide protests by farmers’ bodies
‘Jail bharo’ agitation seeking Rs. 1,000 MSP for a quintal of paddy

- Photo G. N. Rao

On warpath: Farmers confronting the police near Khammam Collectorate on 
Friday during a protest demonstration demanding Rs.1,000 as MSP for paddy.
HYDERABAD: Farmers organisations of Opposition parties staged a Statewide 
‘jail bharo’ agitation on Thursday demanding Rs. 1,000 Minimum Support Price 
for paddy.
Scores of activists were arrested in several districts as they laid siege to 
the collectorates, obstructing employees from entering their offices. Police 
resorted to a mild lathicharge in Hyderabad and Khammam districts to 
disperse the activists of farmers’ bodies who thronged the collectorates in 
large numbers.
Scuffles between the police and the agitators were witnessed in several 
districts when the agitators tried to break the security cordon and the 
protesters were physically lifted as they refused to vacate the premises.
Agitated protesters courted arrests in Vizianagaram district while picketing 
was organised at the Warangal Collectorate even as the police had a tough 
time controlling the surging agitators in Nalgonda district.
State leaders of the Andhra Pradesh Ryotu Sangham of CPI, CPI (M)-affiliated 
Rythu Sangham, Telugu Rythu of the TDP and Kisan Morcha of BJP staged a 
demonstration in front of the Agriculture Commissioner’s office in the State 
capital and raised slogans against the Government’s failure to alleviate the 
plight of farmers. They were demanding enhancement of MSP for paddy and 
remunerative prices for other crops, steps to overcome shortage of 
fertilizers and seed and provision of bank loans to farmers on war footing.
YSR at receiving end
Speaking to reporters, Ryotu Sangham leader K. Ramakrishna, Telugu Rythu 
leader Ch. Muthyam Reddy and others criticised Chief Minister Y.S. 
Rajasekhara Reddy for failing to fulfil his assurances to farmers.
They took objection to remarks from a section of Congress leaders claiming 
that the frontal organisations of the Opposition parties were politicising 
the farmers’ issues.
They expressed concern that the banks were not providing loans to farmers as 
the scale of finance was yet to be communicated.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/08/europe/EU-Milky-Mail.php

EU farm chief begs German farmers to stop mailing her milk to protest quotas

The Associated Press
Published: July 8, 2008
BRUSSELS, Belgium: The EU's top farm official is begging German farmers to 
stop mailing her milk.
Farmers have bombarded Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel with 
some 10,000 liters of milk to show their anger over an EU proposal to 
increase milk quotas that may cause prices to fall, her spokesman Michael 
Mann said Tuesday.
Most of the milk — sent by regular mail and addressed to Fischer Boel — had 
spoiled in transit, and some of the cartons had burst open, he said.
"We have to, unfortunately, throw it away," Mann said. "We are conscious of 
their concerns, but we don't think it's a good idea and they should send it 
to a good cause."
Fischer Boel pleaded with farmers in a message on her blog Monday to stop 
sending milk, saying she was happy to talk to them directly to find a 
solution to their grievances.
"If you would like to keep on sending milk, I can suggest that it would be 
better put to a good use in your local area," she said.
German dairy farmers went on strike in May, refusing to deliver milk to 
creameries in protest against low prices at grocery stores. Major 
supermarket chain Lidl responded by raising its milk price.
Global milk prices have soared on growing demand for milk powder from 
emerging economies such as China, hiking European prices for cheese and ice 
cream.
But farmers claim that they haven't seen this translate into more money for 
them. The milk mail protest was organized by a German dairy federation 
unhappy with EU plans to raise production.
EU farm ministers agreed to increase yearly milk quotas by 2 percent — or an 
extra 2.84 million tons — from April to help meet swelling demand.
Fischer Boel has suggested that EU nations consider scrapping production 
quotas altogether by 2015 to end decades-old production rules that don't 
link output to how much farmers receive in prices or subsidies.

http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2008/jul/04/kashmir_fruit_growers_threaten_valley_wide_protests.html

Kashmir fruit growers threaten valley wide protests
Submitted by Tarique on Fri, 07/04/2008 - 17:57.
Indian Muslim
'Says they will forcibly take trucks via Muzaffarabad'
By Reyaz Ahmed, NAK,
Baramulla : The fruit growers in North Kashmir's Baramulla district are up 
in arms against government and concern security agencies alleging that 
hundreds of tucks ferrying apples from the valley to outside markets are 
stopped en-route Jammu by Shiv Sena protestors, alleging apples and other 
fruits are rotting in trucks and Mandis (Markets) causing huge losses to 
them.
"If protesters continued to stop trucks we will forcibly take our apple 
trucks via Srinagar Muzaffarabad road to other markets of South Asia", said 
President of Baramulla Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, Ghulam Rasool 
Bhat, adding government must address this issue as early as possible as 
fruit industry is inflicted due losses with the prevailing situation at 
Jammu.
They also threatened to stage wide protests and self immolation if the 
government failed to provide safe passage to the trucks ferrying apples to 
the out side markets.
"Fruit industry in the Kashmir has already met huge blow due the bad weather 
conditions at very out set of crop session, now due to strike in Jammu our 
apples have been left to rot in Mandis and hundreds trucks stopped on 
Srinagar- Jammu highway," said President Fruit Buyers Association Sopore 
Haji Farooq Ahmed Malik told News Agency of Kashmir.
He said, "If government could provide security to the Yastris (Hindu 
Pilgrims), why the government is not making way for safe passage to the 
trucks carrying apples."
President of Baramulla Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, Ghulam Rasool 
Bhat said, "Government should provide us alternative route to export out 
fruit to outside state as Jammu and Srinagar highway has always been trouble 
for us."
"If BJP and Bajrang Dal and other Hindu extremist continued to stop trucks 
we will forcibly take our apple trucks via Srinagar Muzaffarabad road to 
other markets of South Asia. Government must address this issue as early as 
possible as fruit industry is inflicted due losses with the prevailing 
situation at Jammu," asserted Bhat.
"Our fruits have already suffered massive damage due to devastating 
hailstorms and stormy winds that lashed valley and prices of transportation 
are touching sky it is obviously big loss to us," said Abdul Rashid of 
another fruit grower.
All panic and brim stone against the government and concern authorities, the 
fruit gowers and buyers warned that if government failed to address the 
issue as early as possible they come on roads and stage valley wide protest 
demonstrations.
"We will come on roads with our children as thousands of families are 
completely dependent upon fruit industry," said Mohammed Maqbool Jan another 
fruit dealer.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/15/stories/2008071552190300.htm

Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad

Protesting farmers take out procession
Staff Correspondent
They stage dharna seeking release of compensation

IN SUPPORT OF DEMANDS: Farmers taking out a procession in Dharwad on Monday.
DHARWAD: Farmers in Dharwad taluk took out a procession and staged a dharna 
in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Monday to press for 
their demands, including release of compensation for crop loss.
A large number of farmers under the aegis of Dharwad Taluk Pakshateeta Raita 
Haagu Kooli Karmikara Horata Samiti first marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s 
office holding placards that highlighted their various demands, including 
release of crop loss compensation and funds to the ailing KCC Bank and 
quality power supply.
After reaching the Deputy Commissioner’s office, the farmers staged a dharna 
for some time during which farmers’ leaders addressed them.
They said the loan waiver scheme implemented by the Union Government had not 
benefited many farmers because of the guidelines laid down for the scheme.
They urged the Union Government to reach the benefit of loan waiver to all 
farmers.
Complaint
They complained that the premiums fixed for various crops under the crop 
insurance scheme were unscientific and wanted to know why onion and chilli 
that were grown in good quantity in the region had not been included under 
the scheme.
The protestors then handed over a memorandum addressed to the President to 
the Deputy Commissioner Darpan Jain. Mr. Jain assured the farmers of 
communicating their grievances to the authorities concerned.
On the release of crop loss compensation for 2007-08 and declaring Dharwad 
taluk as drought-affected, he assured them of requisite action.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/30/stories/2008073052410300.htm

Other States - Orissa

CPI(M) organises protest
BERHAMPUR: Ganjam district unit of the CPI(M) held a demonstration in front 
of the Berhampur Cooperative Central Bank protesting against alleged errors 
in the preparation of list of farmers eligible for loan waiver. They also 
handed over a six-point charter of demands to the cooperative bank 
authorities to improve services for the peasants. They alleged that 
officials of cooperative societies under the bank were taking bribes from 
farmers to arrange loan waivers.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/24/stories/2008072461330400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

KPRS, tomato growers hold protest march
Staff Reporter
Urge the Government to solve their problems

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Demand: Farmers from Kolar district distributing tomatoes as part of a 
protest in Bangalore on Wednesday.
BANGALORE: The members of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) and 
Tomato Growers’ Association of Kolar district held a protest march from Town 
Hall to Vidhana Soudha here on Wednesday. They urged the Government to solve 
their problems by creating support structures.
A delegation comprising General Secretary of KPRS J.C. Bayya Reddy, 
president Maruthi Manpade and growers’ association leaders Holur Shankar and 
R. Ramakrishna Gowda submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister’s 
Secretariat listing their demands, which included fixing support price for 
tomato at Rs. 5 a kg.
Earlier, the protestors staged a demonstration at Mysore Bank Circle. Their 
other demands included setting up of agro processing units and providing 
information to farmers about crop patterns.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200807070134.html

Kenya: Wheat Farmers Protest At Low Prices

The Nation (Nairobi)
7 July 2008
Posted to the web 7 July 2008
Macharia Mwangi
Nairobi
More than 100 Narok wheat farmers took to the street Sunday, protesting 
against the low cost of the crop.
The farmers, from Ntulele area, blocked the Maai Mahiu-Narok road demanding 
that the Government intervenes to save them from middlemen whom they accused 
of exploitation.

The farmers, led by councillor Salankat ole Nchoe, said despite the high 
cost of farming, the produce was fetching low prices.
"A bag of wheat is being sold for between Sh2,300 and Sh2,900 which is 
unacceptable," said one of the farmers.
The protesters said the cost of fertiliser and other inputs, including 
pesticide, had shot up tenfold, yet they were being offered "very low" 
prices for the produce.
They said it was not logical to import wheat at the moment while the local 
produce was being sold at throwaway price.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/15/stories/2008081556220300.htm

Karnataka - Gulbarga

Protesting CPI workers held

Plea: Minister for Cooperation Lakshman S. Savadi talking to protesting 
workers of the Communist Party of India in Gulbarga on Thursday.
GULBARGA: The police on Thursday arrested over 100 workers of the Communist 
Party of India (CPI) who picketed the guesthouse where Minister for 
Cooperation Lakshman S. Savadi was staying, demanding release of crop 
insurance to farmers whose loans were waived in 2006-07.
The CPI workers, led by their district unit secretary Shoukat Ali Alur and 
president of the All India Kisan Sabha Moula Mulla, squatted on the road at 
the main entrance of the Iwan-e-Shahi Government Guesthouse preventing Mr. 
Savadi from going out of the building to participate in the quarterly review 
meeting of the Karnataka Development Programme at the Deputy Commissioner’s 
office.
They shouted slogans against the Government for not fulfilling its promise 
of releasing the crop insurance to the farmers.
Mr. Savadi and Animal Husbandry Minister Revu Naik Belamgi tried to persuade 
them to end their protest by assuring them that a decision in this regard 
would be taken at the earliest.
The CPI leaders pointed out that the BJP had promised, during the election 
campaign, to release the crop insurance immediately after coming to power in 
the State.
When the protesters insisted that Mr. Savadi take an on-the-spot decision 
and direct officials to release the crop insurance, the Minister said that 
such a decision could only taken after consulting the Chief Minister and 
left the spot amid slogan shouting by the CPI workers.
Later, when Mr. Savadi and other leaders left the guesthouse through another 
gate, angered CPI workers started proceeding towards the Deputy Commissioner’s 
office to continue their protest. However, the police arrested them. The CPI 
workers were released later.
Mr. Alur said that the then Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was 
responsible for issuing the Government Order in 2006-07 on withholding 
payment of crop insurance to the farmers whose loans were waived.
Mr. Alur said that crop insurance and loan waiver were two separate issues. 
The Government had no authority to withhold payment of crop insurance, he 
added.
He said that during the election campaign Mr. Yeddyurappa had said that the 
order would be withdrawn if the BJP came to power.
“The Chief Minister appears to have forgotten his promise,” Mr. Alur added.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/347216.html

Growers’ protest ripe, parties rush in to pluck the fruits
Mir Ehsan
Posted online: Monday, August 11, 2008 at 0157 hrs Print Email

SOPORE, August 10 : The fruit growers here are watching in dismay as 
separatists and political parties with their own agendas hijack their march 
towards the Line of Control.
The leadership of the growers has been formally conveyed by followers of 
Syed Ali Shah Geelani to follow his march programme on Monday and told that 
the procession would be led by the Hurriyat hardliner himself instead of the 
fruit growers’ leaders.
This morning, as leaders of fruit growers were giving final touches to the 
cross-LoC march at the Sopore fruit mandi, Geelani’s emissaries dropped in 
with the message. Since the National Highway was blocked, the Sopore fruit 
mandi has presented a deserted look, but today hundreds of growers had 
assembled to chalk out a strategy for the march. Many growers were 
distributing pamphlets and arranging vehicles for the procession.
A majority of growers are opposed to the Hurriyat jumping onto their 
bandwagon as, for them, the march is more an economic rather than a 
political issue. “We are traders and don’t want to play politics,” Ghulam 
Rasool Bhat, President, Fruit Growers’ and Dealers’ Association, said.
Bhat added that every Kashmiri could join the march towards the LoC in his 
individual capacity. “We don’t want to make it a political event or a 
platform for separatists,” he said. “The aim of this march is to highlight 
faces of communal elements in India who are destroying our fruit industry.”
In fact, to keep the march away from politics, the growers had even 
constituted a coordination committee to lead the procession, with members 
from different trade bodies who have no affiliation with any political or 
separatist group. “Ours is a non-political march,” said Ghulam Rasool Wagay, 
Secretary, All Valley Fruit Growers’ Association, one of the members of the 
coordination committee. “We are taking this extreme step to save our fruit 
industry that is worth thousands of crores.”
Earlier, on Friday, fruit growers had refused a Hurriyat appeal to change 
their programme of crossing the LoC. Later, both factions of the Hurriyat 
had clubbed their programme with the fruit growers’ march.
“We will start marching towards Muzaffarabad from every village,” General 
Secretary, Sopore fruit mandi, Ghulam Mohammad Malik said. “We will take our 
fruit in trucks, load carriers and in private vehicles as we have been 
forced to take this extreme step.”

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=129136

 Sugarcane growers protest against non-payment Sunday, August 10, 2008
By our correspondent

NAWABSHAH: Hundreds of sugarcane growers took out a protest rally here on 
Saturday against the non-payment of sugarcane price fixed by the government.

The growers also staged a sit-in in front of the Al-Noor Sugar Mills and 
chanted slogans against the mills administration.

The growers demanded payment for the sugarcane supplied to the mill at the 
rate of Rs 67 per 40 kilogram and revocation of the decision of cutting 
weight in the sugarcane supplied through trolleys.

The growers marched two kilometres on the National Highway, blocking the 
traffic.

Meanwhile, the Al-Noor Sugar Mills administration closed the gates of the 
mills to prevent the entry of the protesters.

Addressing the growers, Sindh Abadgar Tehrik Organiser Ghulam Fareed Kalhoro 
said the government had fixed the sugarcane rate at Rs 67 per 40 kilogram 
whereas the mill paid them Rs 60 per kg.

He said the mill made a payment after cutting 30 per cent against the supply 
of 100 maunds of sugarcane, which caused a loss of millions of rupees to 
growers. Kalhoro said the prices of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs 
had increased manifold but the growers were still getting the prices of 
their produce below the cost of the inputs.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/12/stories/2008081259200600.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Coconut growers to stage protest over neera
Special Correspondent
They want Government to facilitate tapping and sale of neera

Neera termed a health drink
Neera tapping more remunerative to farmers than coconut sale: technologist

BANGALORE: A section of the coconut growers, which is keen to tap “neera”, 
has threatened to stage a non-violent protest from October 2 along with 
freedom fighters and Sarvodaya activists if the State Government fails to 
facilitate its tapping and sale by bringing out a neera policy.
Announcing this at a press conference here on Monday, Indian Institute of 
Neera and Palm Products Technology president and neera technologist Swami 
Bhakti Teertha demanded that the Government should set up a neera board to 
support the measures to tap, process and market neera as well as its 
products.
He alleged that though the Horticulture Department had prepared a draft 
neera policy in 2007, it had been put on hold due to pressure from various 
lobbies in the government. All that was required for implementation of the 
neera policy was a clearance from the Cabinet, he said.
Such a policy as well as neera boards and federations had been formed in 
many States, including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West 
Bengal, Kerala and Bihar.
Swami Bhakti Teertha maintained that neera was actually a health drink which 
was rich in nutrients.Swami Bhakti Teertha claimed that tapping neera was 
more remunerative to farmers than selling coconuts.
After deducting their expenses, it was possible to get a daily income of Rs. 
5 per tree by tapping neera, he noted. Neera activists are planning to stage 
a protest in the State if the Government failed to respond positively to 
their demand.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7556691.stm

12 August 2008 14:43 UK
Farmers protest at Guinness gates

Farmers say they are not being paid enough for barley crops
Up to 400 farmers have protested over the price of malting barley outside 
the Guinness brewery in Dublin.
The farmers said the company which supplies barley to Guinness is paying 
them 20% less for crops this year, despite increased production costs.
The president of the farmers' union, Padraig Walshe, said farmers are "at 
the mercy" of large corporations.
Guinness owner Diageo said it had no involvement in negotiating the price.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0812/farming.html

Farmers protest over barley prices
Tuesday, 12 August 2008 22:35
Up to 400 farmers took part in a protest over the price of malting barley 
outside the Guinness brewery this morning.
The farmers who protested outside St James's Gate brewery say Greencore 
Malt, which supplies the barley to Guinness producers Diageo, is paying 
farmers 20% less for their crop this year despite increased production 
costs.
IFA President Padraig Walshe says farmers are at the mercy of large 
corporations which control the market.
Advertisement
However, Diageo rejected that claim saying that it does not buy directly 
from farmers and has no role in negotiating the price.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=131771

Growers protest against water shortage Monday, August 25, 2008
By our correspondent

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: The tail-end growers of Dalipota took out a rally and 
staged a demonstration in front of the Naushahro Feroze Press Club on Sunday 
to protest against the non-availability of water.

Protesters, led by Shah Nawaz Lakho, raised slogans against the Irrigation 
authorities. Talking to journalists, they said influential landlords had 
installed pipes in minors and were lifting water through suction motors. 
They accused them of breaking watercourse points and that they were taking 
water beyond their share. ìAs a result, the growers are suffering losses,î 
Lakho said.

The protestors said they had approached the SDO Irrigation of Tharushah and 
the XEN Moro several times but their complaints were not heard. They 
demanded of the Sindh chief minister and the Irrigation minister to take 
action against influential landlords and provide them justice.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/25/stories/2008082552420300.htm

Karnataka - Bellary

Farmland owners protest ore seizure
Staff Correspondent
Movement of traffic affected for some time
Farmers seek return of confiscated ore
Demand permission to dig lands

BELLARY: A torchlight procession was taken out in Hospet city on Saturday 
evening by farmers engaged in removing float ore from “patta” lands, in 
protest against the raids by the district administration against illegal 
mining. They also demanded that the Government accord them permission to 
extract ore from their lands.
A large number of farmers from various villages in the taluk, including 
Kallahalli, Rajapur, Venkatagiri, Kariganur, Sankapur, Vaddafrahalli and 
Jambunathahalli, participated in the rally organised under the aegis of the 
Raithara Hakku Badhyata Samiti. They raised slogans against District 
in-charge Minister Janardhan Reddy, MLA Anand Singh, and the district 
administration. The agitators also demanded that the ore seized by the 
district administration be returned to land owners.
The movement of vehicular traffic was affected for some time in the city on 
account of the procession. The district administration had, in accordance 
with instructions from Mr. Janardhan Reddy, raided several places in Hospet 
and Sandur taluks recently and seized over 3.5 lakh tonnes of float ore 
extracted by digging the land.
N. Chandrababu, president of the samiti, led the protest.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/07/stories/2008080753610400.htm

Karnataka - Mysore

Sugarcane growers’ protest tomorrow
Staff Correspondent

Factories not paying additional amount to farmers
Government urged to fix price before harvest season

MYSORE: Sugarcane farmers will stage a demonstration in front of the Raj 
Bhavan in Bangalore on August 8 to protest against the failure of the sugar 
factories in paying them the additional Rs. 160 for a tonne of sugarcane as 
directed by Governor Rameshwar Thakur.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, president of Karnataka 
State Sugarcane Growers’ Association Kurubur Shanthakumar said the 
Government had failed to implement the Governor’s directive issued during 
President’s Rule on March 1.
“Though five months had elapsed since the Governor issued an order to pay 
farmers an additional of Rs. 160 for a tonne, the directions are yet to be 
honoured by sugar factories. The Government has allowed the sugar factories 
to function by giving us false assurances”, Mr. Shanthakumar said.
Though the Government had held periodic meetings and directed the sugar 
factories to pay the farmers their dues, the farmers had been denied the 
money and were facing a difficult situation, he said. “It is not just the 
private sugar mills that have defied the Governor’s directions. Even the 
state-owned sugar factories and co-operative sugar factories have not 
implemented the order,” Mr. Shanthakumar said.
The association would pressure the Government to fix the rate for sugarcane 
for 2008-09 before the farmers begin harvesting their yield, he said.
“To press for our demands, thousands of sugarcane farmers from different 
parts of the State will gather in front of Raj Bhavan in Bangalore on August 
8,” Mr. Shanthakumar said.
Mr. Shanthakumar urged the Government to crack the whip against the sugar 
factories by confiscating the sugar and by-products like molasses till the 
farmers’ dues were cleared.