Progressive farmers' toils yields them awards at Krishi mela

Integrated farming and use of modern technology won awards and accolades for several farmers at Krishi Mela - 2017. The event, organised at the Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra in the city, attracted lakhs of people on its last day on Sunday.

Omkaramurthy, a progressive farmer from Channarayapatna taluk in Hassan, and Sharadamma from Gudibande taluk in Chikkaballapur district were given the best farmer award, which included a cash prize of Rs 25,000.

B Hanumantegowda from the Tumakuru Agriculture Science Centre and A T Sadashiva from the Indian Indian Institute of Horticultural Research in Hesaraghatta were felicitated for their contribution in their respective fields.

Farmers from the taluk and district level were also felicitated during the mela. Officials from the University of Agricultural Sciences said more than six lakh visited the fair over the course of four days.

Those who could not make it to the fair during the weekdays thronged the GKVK campus on Sunday, with the two-km approach road to the venue seeing bumper to bumper traffic throughout the day.

Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who spoke at the awards programme, said the prices of groundnut had nosedived and assured the farmers of help.