Protests mar India’s 1st agribusiness summit; 4 arrested

By Bhanu Teja and Uzmi Athar

BANGALORE (Dec. 1)—Amid strong protests, the Global Agribusiness & Food Processing Summit was held today in Bangalore, with four protestors being arrested by police.

The summit, which was attended by 21 delegates from all over the world, is the first step toward making an investment of Rs. 500 billion to encourage growth in the agro- and food-processing industries.

Karnataka Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, who also attended the summit, said, “We need investment in the agri sector and to come out with an integrated agribusiness in our country. Credit should go to [former Chief Minister] Mr. Yeddyruppa, who sanctioned the first agriculture budget.”

The event was also supposed to be attended by Sharad Pawar, the union minister, and Sushma Swaraj, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. But they were unable to come because of the ongoing Lok Sabha session.

Farmers protest at summit

However, this investment has become a source of concern for the farmers as it would require 50,000 acres of their land to be annexed by the government.

“They are giving lands to the rich instead of the poor,”said G.N. Nagaraju, president of Prantha Krishi Kulikara Sanga. “The government has taken steps to profit other companies ignoring our farmers.”

As soon as Prakash Kakkad stepped on to the dias, Umesh, a farmer from Magadi sitting in the last row started shouting that farmers across India were against the government’s move.

Umesh, belonging to Karnataka Rajya Raitu Group, was dragged out of the venue and was arrested along with three others who were protesting against this investment.

Gowda remains cool

Gowda kept smiling during the whole incident, and later said the move would be favorable for farmers themselves.

“I promise that no farmer would be forced to give up their land in this process,” Gowda said.

He also said that this investment would ensure 300,000 direct job oppurtunities and 700,000 indirect job oppurtunities for the farmers as it would help them in opening entrepreneurship options for them.

“Farmers would get right price for their product,” Gowda added.

Seven memorandums of understanding were signed between the government of Karnataka and companies in connection with the investment. Major investors in this memorandum were the State Bank of India (Rs. 400 billion),  Indusland bank (Rs. 250 billion), and SREI Infrastructure Finance Limited  for an agribusiness project  worth Rs. 150 billion.

Corporates take mixed stand

Anand Mahendra, vice president and managing director of Mahindra and Mahindra, said he regarded the summit as a “silent revolution”

“This protest which we just witnessed is because of the underlying fact that something important is going on,” Mahendra said.

On the other hand Anil Jain Anil Jain, managing director of Jain Irrigation System, said the government should take steps to provide capital assistance to the farmers.

He added that regular meetings should be held which would ensure step wise development of the project.

This event was organized under the Integrated Agribusiness Development Policy 2011 and is a two-day summit that winds up Friday. The summit will discuss various aspects of the agro-based industry like horticulture, apiculture, fisheries, tissue culture, sericulture, dairy farming, poultry farming and animal husbandry.