Silvester D’ Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur Oct 20: “Farmers are getting themselves freed from agriculture due to instability. Agriculture can be made profitable by controlling unnecessary expenditure, following developed methods and use of suitable machinery. As farmers did not give up agriculture even during the complex Corona pandemic situation of two years, there was no problem with food. If the farmer had remained indifferent, more people would have died of starvation than the pandemic. These farmers need to be encouraged and motivated,” said Dharmastala Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade. He was speaking after inaugurating the centre of providing agricultural machinery on hire by Dharmastala Gramabhivridhi Yojane project B C Dharmastala trust at Asodu – Bandsale, Kalavara.

“Profit in farming has decreased now due to unnecessary expenditure. Machinery can be used as solutions to labour problems. Small farmers can open centres to provide machinery on hire for medium class farmers. The machinery should be available at close distance,” he said.

“There are 164 centres of hire from Dharmastala rural development project at present. Only 50% out of them are earning profit. The centres function for the benefit of farmers. The machines are being sent to various places considering the seasons. The machines are put to work the whole year,” he said.

Member of Vidhan Parishad and former Vidhan Sabha speaker K Pratapchandra Shetty who inaugurated the customer service centre and the programme said that the paddy cultivated by the farmers these days goes directly to the mills and not to the godowns. “The farmers are not getting a support price. The farmers will benefit only when the support price is paid on the field to support the farmers,” he said.

Janajagruthi Vedike Kundapur founder president B Appanna Hegde presided over the programme. Kalavara gram panchayat president Ashalatha Shetty, assistant director of agriculture, Roopa J Mada, Sujith Kumar Shetty, coastal regional office director Vasanth Salian were present.

Dharmastala Gramabhivridhi Yojane B C trust chief executive Dr L H Manjunath gave an introductory address. Rashmi sang a prayer. Agricultural machinery division regional director Abraham M K welcomed. Kundapur taluk agricultural officer Chetan Kumar compered the programme. CHSC Shivamogga director Dinesh A rendered vote of thanks.