Compensate farmers for crop damage by animals in hilly areas: Tikait

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said on Wednesday that the government should compensate farmers of hilly areas for the damage to crops caused by wild animals.

Tikait said the government should also make arrangements for transporting the produce of farmers from their farms to the wholesale markets.

Addressing a farmer 'mahapanchayat' at Haripur Tohana village near Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district, the BKU leader said an arrangement should be made for farmers on the lines of subsidy provided to sugar factories for transporting sugar to the ports.

"When the government wants to talk, we will talk to them, but we are also prepared for the agitation. The first phase of the agitation will continue till November-December and will be intensified after that if necessary," the BKU spokesperson said.

Addressing the first farmer 'mahapanchayat' held by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha in Himachal Pradesh, Tikait said the protest at Delhi borders the farmers would follow all guidelines as coronavirus cases continue to surge.

He underscored that they would continue with the agitation and not end it at any cost even if a curfew or lockdown is imposed.

Tikait said "three Ts will help the country win -- tanks with our soldiers at the China border, tractors of our farmers and Twitter used by the youth".

The BKU leader said the people of Himachal Pradesh would have to leave the hills and come down for the agitation to "save" their lands and livelihood.

Another farmer leader, Gurnam Singh Chaduni, said the farmers of the country would find it difficult to compete with US farmers if "one world, one market" system comes into force.

An average US farmer owns thousands of square kilometres of land and gets paid a hefty subsidy by the government, while over 80 per cent of farmers in our country own less than 2.5 acres of land, he added.