Farmers are at a crossroads as the agricultural sector shifts from manual to mechanized farming. The change in the pattern of the rain and the market oversupply have only made their problems worse.
Farmers have placed their hopes in the annual agricultural fair "Krishi Mela" that officially started on Saturday on the premises of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS, Dharwad).
It was formally inaugurated by Agriculture Minister B.C. Patil on Sunday.
The mela, which has been drawing farmers, now includes more than a hundred vendors selling farm equipment, integrated farming, drip irrigation, sericulture, nurseries, terrace gardens, decorative floriculture, fisheries, dairy farming, and poultry, among other things.
Large exhibitions have been set up that provides a great deal of information on doubling farmers' income as well as soil and water conservation. Experts have called for an end to monocropping and the adoption of integrated crop patterns.
Over two lakh farmers from Karnataka and neighboring states came to the stalls on the opening day of the mela to learn about new farm equipment and high-yield crop types.
The Krishi Mela focuses on nutritious cereals, their production, value addition, and marketing, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, integrated crop, nutrient, pest, and disease management, rabi crop technologies, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, hi-tech horticulture, fruits, and flowers shows, Nutri-gardens, terrace gardens, and vertical gardens.
UAS organized a discussion with progressive farmers and farm women, expert farm advisory services, animal husbandry, an exhibition of breeds and fodder crop technologies, and community science technologies for women's empowerment to enable farmers to receive advice from farm scientists and progressive farmers.
The Krishi Mela 2022, intended to promote agriculture and related activities, includes abundant space for livestock display.
Since many farmers are turning to dairy farming as a part of integrated farming, UAS is hosting a livestock show where the farmers may learn everything there is to know about dairy farming. There are various goat and sheep breeds on display. The mudhol hounds are drawing a lot of people.
