Farmers’ leader Badagalapura Nagendra fears that the anti-Muslim propaganda in the COVID-19 outbreak will hit the marketing of agricultural produce.
Speaking at a meeting convened by Agriculture Minister B.C. Patil in Mysuru to discuss the woes of farmers during the lockdown, he said Muslims constitute a key segment of the marketing agents in wholesale markets of the State.
“Whether it is silk, mangoes or vegetables, they (Muslims) are the key marketing agents. In view of the anti-Muslim propaganda, they are not coming to the markets”, he said before appealing to the State government to speak to them and convince them to return to the markets. “They are needed because they know the marketing pulse.”
Mr. Nagendra also urged the State government to speak to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Maharashtra so that the respective government agencies directly purchase and transport the agriculture produce grown in the regions of the State close to the border. For instance, the market for much of the agriculture produce grown in Mysuru region is in Kerala, he said.
