'Agriculture sector losing sheen'

Non-availability of labourers hit farming activities

Delivering a special lecture on the topic ‘Agriculture-based industries’ here as part of 22nd convention of Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha here on Sunday, he said agriculture was once the main profession in rural areas but, the farmers have developed aversion towards it.

Labourers were not available to work in fields. Non-development of agriculture-based industries has hit the agriculture sector, he added.

Prof Dandin said 84 sugar mills are in the State. Apart from this there are no agriculture produces industries. While vegetables, mangoes and cashew are grown in Bangalore and Kolar districts, pomegranate and grapes are grown in Bijapur and Bagalkot districts, coffee and spices are grown in Kodagu and Chikmagalur districts. But, farmers don’t have storage facilities and processing units. The situation calls for providing suitable marketing facilities in the districts, he added.

No SEZ

He said there was no need to establish Special Economic Zones (SEZ) as thousands of farmers lost fertile land. Acquisition of agriculture land in the same of development should be stopped. It was the duty of every individual to protect land, water, flora and fauna, and then only the country’s progress was possible, he added.

Prof A S Kumaraswamy spoke on ‘varieties of agriculture practice’; Dr Chidananda P Mansur on ‘problems of ryots’. Progressive farmer, Devika Prasad, former MLA, B B Shivappa and M K Kailashmurthy.

Excise Minister M P Renukacharya, Horticulture Minister S A Ravindranath, Mahantha Swamiji, MLC M V Rajashekaran, former vice-chancellor, Dr M Mahadevappa, Nagarajappa and Guruswamy were present.