A delegation consisting of grape growers and office bearers of the Karnataka Grape Growers’ Association, led by Members of Parliament, Ramesh Jigaginagi (Bijapur), P C Gaddigoudar (Bagalkot), Suresh Angadi (Belagavi), and Bhagavantha Kooba (Bidar), called on the Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, in New Delhi.
The delegation urged the Centre to announce a special financial package for grape growers to waive their loans and the interest accrued, and also appealed for the setting up of a National Horticulture Mission (NHM) branch office in Uttara Karnataka region and a branch of the National Centre for Grapes Research at Bijapur.
Former Minister Basana Gowda Patil (Yatnal), President of the Association, Abhay Kumar S Nandrekar, Secretary, H R Utagi, Directors, Rudra Goudar, Nadagoudar, V Gadyal, and General Secretary Umesh, were part of the delegation.