'Modern techniques imperative for agriculture'

Financial growth using traditional farming is hardly possible in these days. So time has come to look at new agriculture methods and activities that could support agriculture like aquaculture, dairy farming, horticulture and floriculture to achieve self-reliance, said Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Dr K N Vijayprakash.

Speaking to some of the selected progressive farmers of the district at the Zilla Panchayat hall on Tuesday, after inaugurating one-day workshop on ‘Opportunities for development of agriculture sector’ organised jointly by Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat and District Project Committee, he said that Daskhina Kannada has 4,77,169 hectares of farm land, but farmers are suffering due to external factors like lack of labourers, high wage etc.

“Still I am confidant that modern technology can solve most of the problems threatening farming sector,” he said.

Farmers’ core group

Dakshina Kannada Krushika Samaja President Sampath Samrajya said that, agriculture projects should be planned at the grassroots level using the advices of progressive farmers. “Coimbatore University and Bangalore University Agriculture Engineering Departments are good in developing modern technologies for farming.

Farmers lack information about modern farming systems. We have to give information as well as technical training (Repair and operation) to them,” Samrajya said.

He advised that administration should form core groups of farmers to follow up the implementation of decisions. “We can think about the development of floriculture as we can export flowers to Arab countries using international airport facility,” he advised.

‘Use facilities’

Agriculture and Industry Standing Committee President Naveen Kumar Menal blamed the farmers as they are not reaping benefits from the Projects introduced by the government for them.

As an example he said, “Government has implemented ‘Adike Punashchethana’ project for areca farmers, who suffered heavy losses because of yellow disease and sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore. A farmer can get Rs 15,000 under the project and he can use it to grow some other crops like banana, but the project has received poor response from the farmers.

Lack of information may be the reason.” ZP President T K Shailaja Bhat presided over the programme.

Chief Project Officer Mohammad Nazeer, Mangalore City Corporation Commissioner Harish Kumar, Project Officer and ZP Chief Treasurer Seethamma were present.