Progressive farmers Shobha Ashok from Sulya taluk of Dakshina Kannada district and Basavaraj Navi of Gadag district were rewarded with the 'Best Farmer' awards for their best practices in organic farming at the valedictory of the four-day Krishi Mela organised by the University of Agriculture Sciences, Bangalore, here on Sunday.
The last day of the mela saw a huge footfall at the Gandhi Krishi Vignan Kendra (GKVK) campus to have a glimpse of the latest technology in the farming sector.
Speaking at the valedictory function, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar said, “The Union government has decided to observe World Soil Day on Dec 5. There are plans to create ‘soil health pavilion’ to educate the farmers on soil testing and ways to improve soil fertility.”
The minister said that, in order to stop the indiscriminate use of urea to increase the yield, the Centre is planning to implement a proposal to neem-coat urea produced domestically and the imported. The minister said that neem-coated urea will serve twin-purposes - it is good for agriculture and secondly it will eradicate the black-marketing of urea and the menace of spurious urea.
“The Centre will soon have machinery to convert the imported urea into neem-coated at the ports too. There are over 30 companies producing 220 crore tonnes of urea annually in the country. At present, the demand for urea in the country is close to 350 crore tonnes. The deficit is met through imports,” he explained.
Ananth Kumar said that the Centre has proposed to set up urea producing unit in the State and has already approached the chief minister to allot 500 acres of land for the same. Once the required tract of land with abundant water source and free access to national highway and the railways, is allotted, a urea manufacturing unit will be set up in the State, he added.
To deal with the growing garbage crisis, the Centre is set to invest in gasification plants and is willing to invest 70 per cent of the total cost. The Union minister said that the State should invest in such gasification plants.
Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said that unseasonal rain and climate change is having an adverse impact on farm sector. The twin factors are adversely impacting the cost of cultivation in the country. The Centre and the State government, along with the local bodies, should work together to address the growing problems in the agriculture sector, he added.
Published 22 November 2015, 19:58 IST