Dharwad: There is a need for farmers to practice new farming methods and develop scientific thinking in order to increase their revenue, said film producer and thinker Nagatihalli Chandrashekar at the inaugural of the ‘Seed Mela’, organised as part of the ongoing Krishi Mela at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) campus in Dharwad.
Stating that suicide was not a solution to escape from the clutches of agrarian crisis he added that agricultural universities have been coming up with latest innovations and integrated farm practices which should be adopted by the farmers rather than sticking to traditional way of farming apart from incorporating dairy farming, poultry, bee-keeping and others.
UAS Vice-Chancellor D P Biradar said, “Farmers have to focus on seed production and preserving traditional seeds, to make themselves self-reliant. Several schemes to preserve and produce seeds have been launched and these schemes will lessen the financial burden on the farmer.”
He further said that the soil here has a unique quality of bouncing back to original fertility even if it is battered by heavy showers or drought. Besides, we have a diversified climate which does not pose any threat to the food security, he observed.
Ishwarch and Hosmani, Dr V I Benagi, and others also spoke.
Seed sale
On the first day of Seed Mela, 135 quintal Rabi crop seeds worth Rs. 7.31 lakh was sold and 165 farmers consulted the scientists to solve their agricultural problems.
