Outstanding farmers get agri awards

Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda gave away the Krishi Ratna awards to 15 farmers from across the State for achieving high yields in 11 selected crops, at a function organised by the Agriculture department at the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday.

The government has been presenting the awards for the last three decades at the State, district and taluk level. For 2010-11, 70 farmers at the district level and 429 farmers at the taluk level received the award.

While the first prize carries a cash award of Rs 30,000, the second and third prizes carry Rs 15,000 and Rs 14,000 respectively.

A total of 8,007 farmers have been awarded a total cash prize of Rs 103.56 crore 1992-93 onwards.

The State government also presented the Krishi Ratna award posthumously to Prof M D Nanjundaswamy and awarded a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh to the Nanjundaswamy Foundation. The award was collected by Nanjundaswamy’s children Pacche and Chukki.

In order to encourage innovation and creativity among farmers and promote adoption of scientific approach in four major fields – water use efficiency, organic farming, development of agriculture implements and integrated farming systems - the government instituted the Krishi Pandit award programme in 2001. Till date, 102 farmers have received this award.

The award carries cash prizes of Rs one lakh (first prize); Rs 50,000 (second prize); Rs 25,000 (third prize). As many as 26 farmers were presented with the award on Thursday.

‘Will write to Centre’

Gowda, who addressed the gathering after presenting the awards, said he would write to the Centre requesting it to waive of the loans taken by pomegranate farmers who are presently in great distress due to failure of crops.

Farmer leader K S Puttannaiah said the government should declare February 13 as ‘Farmer’s Day’ to mark Nanjundaswamy’s birthday.

The awardees

Maize (irrigated) - Baburao Jadhav, Dharwad; Suresh Kabadagi, Bagalkot; G Veeramma, Davangere; Groundnut (rain fed) – Muralidhara Kulkarni, Haveri; S Revanappa, Davangere; H Shekarappa, Davangere; Wheat (irrigated) – Jagadish Kabadagi, Bagalkot; Rajugowda Patil, Bagalkot; Mahalingappa Maranura, Bagalkot; Bengal gram (rain fed) – Basantaraya Chincholi, Bijapur; Susheela Bai, Bijapur; Subhash Chincholi, Bijapur; Sugarcane (irrigated) – Savitha Girigaon, Bagalkot; Sagareppa Nyamagowda, Bagalkot; B D Kotresh, Davangere.