JOIN USFarmers enrich themselves at 'Mahiti Andolana'
The ‘Krishi Mahiti Andolana’ (campaign for disseminating information on agriculture) organised in the town on Monday served as a platform for interaction between the farmers and the experts.
Several stalls were set up at Balaji Kalyana Mantapa to educate farmers on various aspects of farming, sericulture and horticulture.
Experts and scientists from various universities and agricultural institutions were seen guiding farmers on adopting scientific farming methods.
Members of women self-help groups took who visited the exhibition were keen on acquiring knowledge on agricultural practices. The stalls displaying vegetables grown under organic farming drew several visitors and so were the stalls displaying hybrid varieties.
Several farm equipment, insecticides and sericulture frames to boost sericulture yield, were also on display.
Biofuels
Somashekhar, a technical assistant with Biofuel Development Board of Sericulture College in Chintamani said diesel generated from honge, neem and jatropha seeds costs only Rs 48 a litre.
He said diesel is produced from seeds purchased from farmers. The cake obtained during the process is used for manufacturing glycerine and shampoo. He said the local production could be an effective substitute for imports.
Farm equipment and subsidy available to farmers from various departments were distributed on the occasion.
Chandrappa, extension officer of Sericulture department said a sum of Rs 35.14 lakh has been distributed to 1,968 sericulture farmers during 2012-13. Legislator V Muniyappa distributed power tiller, tractor and mini tractor to eligible beneficiaries.
Zilla Panchayat member Shivaleela Rajanna, Taluk Panchayat president Yarrabachchappa, vice-president SaraswathammaThammanna, members Raju, Venugopal, Narayanaswamy, Channakrishnappa, Joint Director of Agriculture Department S Venkataram, Deputy Directors S S Abid and Raghavendra, Deputy Director of Sericulture Department Shankarappa and others were present.