Karnataka Budget 2026 | Krishi Vistara, AI-based Farmer Call Centre and Raitha Malls planned to boost agriculture

Kalaburagi: The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced several initiatives to give fillip to agriculture and horticulture through the total allocation of Rs 8,373 crore for these sectors. This includes Rs 100 crore Krishi Vistara scheme to create stable and additional income sources for rural farmers by comprehensively strengthening post-harvest activities such as processing, value addition, value chain development, recycling of agricultural waste, and market linkages.

The 'Vasudhamruta' programme will be implemented over the next three years to promote eco-friendly and sustainable agricultural practices by enhancing the soil's organic carbon content along with its physical, chemical, and biological properties. Advanced precision sowing and planting machinery will be included under 'Hi-Tech Harvester Hub' scheme to reduce production costs.

The 'Sasya Sanjeevini' scheme will be implemented over the next three years to identify pests and diseases at an early stage and provide timely recommendations to farmers on control measures. 'Raitha Kare Kendra' (Farmer Call Centre) will be upgraded using AI technology to provide farmers with quick, centralized access to reliable information on weather, markets, agricultural technology, and departmental updates.

The Millet Hub will be developed into a self-sustaining institution. It will function as a single-window system to provide technical assistance, processing facilities, quality certification, and market linkages under one roof to farmers, rural youth, and agri-entrepreneurs. The subsidy assistance for new varieties of pulses will be enhanced. Alternate Wetting and Drying’ (AWD) method of irrigation will be promoted to increase water use efficiency in paddy cultivation, strengthening the state's efforts in climate change adaptation and mitigation to make agriculture sustainable and eco-friendly.

Raita Malls will be established through MSIL on a pilot basis in all taluks of Kolar district to provide quality seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, and agricultural implements at affordable rates under one roof. A state-level advisory committee will be constituted to make recommendations for preventing the supply of spurious, unsafe, or defective seeds and pesticides to farmers, and to curb the sale of agricultural inputs at prices exceeding market rates.

Agricultural Mechanisation will encourage agriculture-related occupations and local cottage industries by providing bullock-drawn and hand-operated implements required locally by small and marginal farmers. The government is also taking steps to upgrade the District Agricultural Training Centre at Babbur in Chitradurga to a state-level Agri-Business Training Centre apart from undertaking first phase of infrastructure work for establishing an agriculture college in Athani.

Horticulture

High-value farms, post-harvest technologies and horticulture-based industries will be established in farms and nurseries of horticulture department under Public-Private Partnership. Community based control measures will be carried out in collaboration with Agriculture and Horticulture Universities and Krishi Vijnana Kendras to control leaf-spot, yellow-leaf and wilt diseases affecting arecanut crops and infestation of black-headed caterpillar and white fly in coconut crops.

The government will establish two cold storage facilities, each with a capacity of 12,000 MT in Honnali taluk of Davanagere district and Toravi of Vijayapura district at a cost of Rs 64 crores to enhance the shelf-life of horticulture produce. Lingambudi Park in Mysuru will be developed to attract more tourists and nature-lovers. Soilless cultivation such as hydroponics and cocopit-based cultivation will be promoted to prevent soil-borne diseases and conserve water. The first-phase of infrastructure work will be undertaken to establish Horticulture college at Dambala.

Centre to be urged to retain MGNREGS

The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated that the state would request and take all measures, including the legal course, demanding the central government to retain the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) 2004.

“Under this scheme, approximately 182 crore person-days of employment have been generated in the state. A total of Rs 61,000 crore in wage payments has been made, and approximately 77 lakh assets have been created. In the current year alone, nearly 71 lakh rural households have benefited from this scheme,” he said.

He said all gram panchayats in the state will be named ‘Mahatma Gandhi Gram Panchayats’ to immortalise the name of the ‘Father of the Nation,’ Mahatma Gandhi.

The chief minister also announced the ‘Anantha’ scheme for implementing Solar Micro Grids in all Gram Panchayats of the state through a public-private partnership (PPP) mode. This aims to make the Gram Panchayats self-sustainable in paying electricity bills and in generating the required annual estimate of 4,000 MW of electricity. Rural development is one of the departments with the highest pending electricity bills in the state.