Kodagu : The farmer associations in Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts staged a protest opposing the proposed free trade agreement Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on Thursday.

Members of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Kaveri Taluku Uluva Yogi Hasiru Sene staged a protest in front of the deputy commissioner’s office in Madikeri and urged the Centre to shelve Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Activists raising slogans against the central government warned of intensifying the protests if the government goes ahead and inks the pact. The free trade agreement is a huge threat to the farmers of the country, they stressed.

Uluva Yogi Hasiru Sene Secretary Shivaprasad said that the final decision on the implementation of RCEP will be known in the first week of November. “Under the programme, the foreign investors can purchase agricultural lands in India. With the import of food products from foreign countries, the demand for indigenous agricultural products will fall,” he added.

Kaveri Taluku Uluva Yogi Hasiru Sene President Javarappa, Honourary President Shishupala, Vice President T B Ramesha and Treasurer Shivaprasad took part in the protest.

Farmer associations in Chikkamagaluru too staged a protest against RCEP and submitted a memorandum to the central government through the district administration, urging the Central Government not to sign the agreement.

Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene activists said that around 16 nations including India will sign RECP on November 4. As per the pact, import duty on agricultural equipment, dairy products, cloth, medicines, spices, rubber, coffee, areca, and pepper will be slashed. This will result in the entry of poor quality items from foreign countries to the Indian market, leaving a negative impact on Indian farmers.

Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene district committee President Duggappa Gowda, Mahesh, Basavaraju and Manjunath were present.