Silvester D’Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Aug 21: “Raitha Samparka Kendras (RSK) have been opened in every revenue division in the state. Farmers are being provided with proper information and they are being educated about various facilities available there. Vacancies in the department of agriculture are being filled up. The process of recruiting 600 degree holders in the department of agriculture is in progress. Their appointment letters will be issued soon. A unique plan of issuing identity cards to farmers is being implemented. The card will be useful in all the dealings of farmers just like smart card,” said Karnataka minister for agriculture, N H Shivashankara Reddy.

He was speaking after participating at a programme of demonstration of mechanical farming under national food security project near Narasimha Poojary's house in Bagrikadu under the aegis of Raita Samparka Kendra, Vandse, department of agriculture and zilla panchayat Udupi.

“Cooperative societies have already been properly informed about the farm loan waiver scheme of the government. It is not enough if farmers are provided seeds and manure. The department should provide necessary information to them. The practice of going to the land under cultivation and giving information to the farmers on the spot will be introduced soon. Organic farming is being given added impetus. Mechanical farming will be given importance to solve labour problem and to reduce production cost. Machines for planting, harvesting and to remove unnecessary weeds will be provided in large numbers. It is not enough if machines are given. Those need to be repaired and maintained from time to time. As service centers are not available to farmers in the present circumstances, the condition in the tender to open service centers in every taluk will be laid down,” he said.

“The central government has already introduced support price for 25 agricultural produce items. An opportunity for the state government to intervene and to make good the difference in prices when the prices fall has been provided. We will try to provide harvesting machines in large numbers. I will discuss about gun licenses demanded by farmers. I will speak to the minister for minor irrigation regarding raising the edges of fields to prevent salt water from entering the fields," he assured.

DSR system of growing paddy which needs lesser water and less efforts should be followed in agriculture. It is a simple method of reducing cost. I will try to provide machinery for agriculture on time. Farmers should also think of intercropping,” he said.

Former MLA, K Gopala Poojary, zilla panchayat member, Shobha Putran, taluk panchayat member, Raju Devadiga, gram panchayat president, Jyothi Harish Bhandary, agriculture department director Padma Nayak, agriculture department joint director Kempe Gowda, APMC president Sharath Kumar Shetty, agriculture department assistant director Vittal Rao, coconut grower’s federation president Chandra Naik, Narasimha Ganiga Haregodu and others were present. Agricultural officer Raghurama Shetty proposed the vote of thanks. Farmer Sheena Poojary was felicitated. Minister of agriculture inspected cultivated agricultural land and also flood affected area.