JOIN USTake up integrated farming, CM advises farmers
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said integrated farming system should be encouraged among farmers, especially those who are into dryland farming.
After inaugurating the five-day international Krishi Mela organised by University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, here, he mooted a comprehensive dryland farming policy and said: “Since monsoons have become very unpredictable and groundwater levels have depleted, instead of depending on one crop, farmers must take up fishery, poultry and cattle rearing to support their living.”
“Once crops fail, farmers normally leave their village and migrate to cities in search of work. This trend must be checked. We need to stress on integrated farming and encourage farmers to adopt it to have a sustainable livelihood,” he added. He said that 62 per cent of the State’s population lives in the rural areas. Though there are awards given to young farmers, the youth are not showing much interesting in farming.
Recalling how the heavy monsoons this year had ruined arecanut crops in the coastal region, Siddaramaiah said that the scientists from University of Agriculture Sciences must come up with innovative technologies. Their work will be fruitful only when technology reaches farmers. Giving away the seven newly-developed varieties of crops to farmers, he said, “Since many farmers are not even able to get back the amount they invested in farming, we need to adopt the lab-to-land concept and develop better varieties of crops which yield more with less investment.”
Talking about the Agriculture department’s performance, the chief minister came down heavily on the department’s officials stating that they have stopped visiting fields to have a better understanding of farmers' problems. He said the agriculture department officials are busy giving subsidies to farmers and collecting bribes in return.
Although it was announced that this year’s Krishi Mela would go international, not a single international stall was seen at the expo. It was said that farmers from other countries have brought in their robotic technology used in farming, but it was nowhere to be found at the Mela.
Awards for farmers
Janab Al Haj Shah Khalifa Mohammed Idris Ahamed Saab Khadri, a farmer from Bagdal village in Bidar district was honoured with C Byre Gowda Memorial award for the best farmer. Khadri adopted integrated farming method and has been helping other farmers in cultivation practices. Dr R Dwarakinath Best Farm Worker award was bagged by K Dasappa and T Bannikuppe from Kanakapura taluk in Ramanagara district.
Best Extension Programme worker awardwent to Dr K H Nagaraj from UAS. As many as 16 farmers from Bangalore Rural, Chikkaballapur and Mysore districts were honoured.