Krishi Mela kicks off at Brahmavar

The Zonal Agricultural Research Station at Brahmavara organised a two-day ‘Krishimela-2009’ in association with Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Brahmavar and Bangalore, Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Watershed Department Udupi, Sri Khsethra Dharmasthala Rural Development Programme, District Krishik Samaj, Directorate of Cashew and Cocoa Development, Kochi, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank and Vijaya Rural Development Foundation Mangalore at the Zonal centre here on Sunday.

Speaking after inaugurating the mela, Udupi MLA Raghupathy Bhat opined that farming activities in the district should be heightened in a large scale. Farmers in the area should be supported in all possible ways. The horticulture sector also calls for special attention since the area has ample scope for horticultural activities, he said and added that an Agricultural College will be set up at Brahmavar Zonal centre aiding the infrastructure necessary for high level research.

Educated youths should take up agriculture as their career. The advent of sky scraping industries in the district has increased the cases of conversion of agricultural lands, Bhat said. Agricultural lands are on the verge of disappearance, he said adding that modernisation has led to destruction.

Improved technology and innovative ideas should be adopted in agriculture to intensify the farming activities besides luring the farmers to indulge in cultivation, Bhat suggested. Agriculture should be a part of the development process, he added.

The measures taken by Chinese government should be followed where agriculture is supported parallel to the industries. Hi-tech machineries should be introduced in the fields. Irrigation facilities should be made available. Udupi district lacks large scale irrigation programmes. Attempts should be made to introduce the vented dams, Bhat elaborated.

Seminars

A seminar on ‘Profitable cashew cultivation and management of horticultural crops of the coastal zone’ was held on the day.

Another seminar on ‘Paddy based integrated cropping systems and organic farming’ will be held on Monday. Department Heads of Agriculture and Horticulture, Directors of Research and Extension wing of UAS, Bangalore, Scientists from ICAR Research Institutes, Zonal Agricultural Research Station, and Krishi Vighyan Kendra are scheduled to address the problems of the farmers.

Exhibition

The mela displayed an array of latest agriculture technologies and recent farm machineries. These include model demonstration of ‘jalanayana watershed’, CO-4 Fodder grass demonstration, exhibition and sale of decorative plants, display of high yielding rice varieties and seed production, preparation of Dapog nursery and SRI method of paddy cultivation, demonstrations of multi storied cropping system and nutrient management in coconut, cashew grafting and soil and water management in cashew gardens, demonstration of organic manure compost, vermi compost and azolla helping nitrogen fixation, exhibition and demonstration of agricultural implements, preparation and demonstration of bordeaux mixture, models demonstrating rain water harvesting and storage.

Udupi Zilla Panchayat President Gladys Almeida, ZARS Associate Director of research Dr M Hanumanthappa, Karnataka Agriculture University (KAU), Bangalore members K C Shankar Gowda, A M Devraj, Udupi Town Development Authority Chairman Bhujanga Shetty, KAU Extension Director Dr R Kulkarni and others were present.