The Karnataka chapter of the Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CIFA) has released its Farmer’s Manifesto on May 6, 2008 in Bangalore. It has launched an awareness campaign throughout the state, termed the “Raitha Jagruti Rath Yatra”, timed with the ongoing mid term elections to the State Assembly, to popularize the demands and concerns of farmers throughout the state.

According to the farmers organization, major issues covered in the Farmers' Manifesto are that minimum support price for farm produce should be announced before the beginning of sowing season, steps should be taken to increase export of farm produce from Rs. 3,500 crore to Rs. 10,000 crore during the next decade, programmes to protect the interests of small and marginal farmers should be initiated, programme to reclaim 8 lakh hectares of land which had become unfit for cultivation should be initiated. They have demanded a programme that would reverse the trend of declining agriculture growth.

Farmer's leaders have declared that the manifestoes released by the Congress, BJP and other parties have no such programmes but only promises to improve the living conditions of farmers.  While farmers are demanding that commercial banks grant farm loans at three per cent interest, these parties are silent on this issue. None of these parties have addressed the problem of accessibility of farmers to credit from banks. Only 17 lakh of the 60 lakh agriculturists in the State receive credit from banks and others depend on moneylenders.

According to news reports, the CIFA will support the candidates fielded by the front led by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and other progressive organisations in the State. In other constituencies, farmers will be urged to choose political parties which support the Farmers' Manifesto.