Belgaum : Demanding that the support price for sugar cane grown in their fields be raised from Rs.2,500 per Ton as promised by the govt. to Rs.4000 per Ton in view of price inflation, the farmers conducted a Dharana in front of Suvarna Vidhana Saudha at Belagum since 3 days.

In the middle of this Dharana one of the Sugar Cane farmer, Vitthal Arabhavy took pesticide as position and committed suicide when legislators were discussing agriculture and other subjects of interest in the Winter session of legislature in city.

The CM came out of the session on being told about the death of the Sugar Cane farmer and expressed his regrets, besides promising to do whatever compensatory measures could be taken up at the earliest.

The govt. as already agreed a price of Rs. 2500 a Ton at the minimum level which the farmers have not agreed upon in view of weather conditions and quantity of production raised this year.

Vitthal Arabhavy of Raibhag Taluk was a small Scale farmer with a large family to maintain, of 1 acre of land and had grown Sugar Cane and sold it to Nirani Sugar Mills which had not paid him any money so long for the produce. So, the farmer took his own life in dejection.