Union government following anti farmers policies, says Minister
"Farmers are facing a serious crisis. The state is facing a severe drought. Farmers have sown two or three times, but lost money and inputs. In such a situation, cooperative societies are supporting farmers'', M. B. Patil, said.
Congress Minister M. B. Patil accused the BJP-led NDA government of implementing anti-farmer policies, during his speech at the inauguration of a grain storage facility in Shirbur village of Babaleshwar taluk in Vijayapura district on Saturday (August 16, 2026). He criticized the central government for not waiving off loans to farmers as extensively as former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had done in the past.
Patil pointed out that cooperative institutions have been instrumental in aiding farmers during crises, and the state is currently experiencing a severe drought. Farmers have been forced to sow their crops multiple times, only to lose money and input resources.
Patil emphasized the need to increase the storage capacity of the Almatti dam, which would enable farmers in irrigated areas to transition to commercial crops and become financially self-reliant. He also announced his commitment to revive the Nandi Cooperative Sugar Factory in Vijayapura district, which is currently facing financial difficulties. The godown will help farmers protect their grains until they receive fair prices.
Shivanand Patil, MLA, commended the cooperative movement for being secular and non-partisan. He highlighted that around 250 of the 272 rural cooperative societies in Vijayapura district have their own offices and provide loans averaging ₹80,000, which is the highest in the state. DCC Bank, under the leadership of MLA Shivanand S. Patil, has an annual transaction of ₹6,000 crore. The bank supports rural dairies and provides low-interest loans for farm house construction.
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