Bengaluru: Farmer organisations on Tuesday urged the Karnataka government to repeal the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020 and announce a series of pro-farmer measures in the 2026–27 state budget.

The demands were placed at a pre-budget meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha. Agriculture Minister Cheluvarayaswamy and senior officials were present.

Speaking to reporters, farmers’ leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar said Karnataka ranks second in farmer suicides and called for urgent preventive measures, including reforms in the crop insurance system.

Farmer representatives also sought withdrawal of the 2020 cattle law enacted under the previous BJP government, alleging it has adversely affected sections of the farming community.

Among key budget demands were a Rs 10 lakh deposit scheme for women marrying farmers, interest-free loans with government guarantees for agriculture and allied small enterprises, and greater allocation for minor irrigation.

The groups further urged the state not to implement proposed central legislations such as the Electricity Act 2025 and Seeds Bill 2025, and called for a dedicated fund of Rs 20,000 crore to strengthen minimum support price (MSP) operations and direct procurement from farmers.

They also demanded land title regularisation for ‘bagar hukum’ cultivators and policy measures to prevent agricultural land from turning barren.

Farmer leaders said they expect the upcoming budget to prioritise agriculture and address structural issues affecting rural livelihoods.