CM picks up fruits and vegetables to reach out to farm

Steering his way through various regions of the drought-stricken state, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has chosen fruits and vegetables to connect with the farmers.

Picking up the region-specific staple fruit and vegetable crops, the chief minister on Friday announced various schemes to bail out farmers from severe hardships.

Farmers cultivating grapes and pomegranate in as many as 16 districts and predominantly in North Karnataka region, were reeling under mounting debt burden.

While the drought had wreaked havoc in the region, the recent dip in temperature and pest attack had almost wiped out the grapes and pomegranate crop. In order to bail them out, the chief minister has announced a special package of Rs 150 crore.

Similarly, connecting himself with the farmers of south interior districts such as Kolar, Chikkaballapur where mango and tomatoes are grown predominantly, Kumaraswamy announced technological interventions to help farmers save their produce.

Making a special mention of Gherkin, which is predominantly grown in Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts, besides traces in Central Karnataka, Kumaraswamy announced Rs 6 crore assistance to help increase the turnover.

About 1,12,000 farmers have taken to the cultivation of gherkins across 50,000 acres with an annual turnover of Rs 1,285 crore as most of it is exported to European and Middle Eastern countries.