Three-day Krishi Mela at UAS, Dharwad from May 27

Dharwad: The air around the campus of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad is heady with excitement, what with the institution set to host Krishi Mela, after a gap of two years. Farmers from Bombay Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka are pinning a lot of hopes on the three-day Krishi Mela-2022, which will begin on May 27.
Unseasonal showers and a particularly harsh summer have plunged the farming community across North Karnataka in distress, and through the Krishi Mela, they will hope to find some solution to their woes. The primary objective of the event is to impart to farmers knowledge of technical tools, the use of which can help double their income.
Farmers across North Karnataka are not acquainted with methods that can help increase the price of their produce on the market, often resulting in their being unable to regain the money they have invested, leave alone making a profit. Farmers are often pushed to the edge of despair when price of the crops they have cultivated nosedive, prompting them to take drastic steps such as dumping their crops on the road, to express their disillusionment with the system.
During the Krishi Mela, farmers will be provided the chance to interact with experts from across the country, and learn how to increase their revenue. The organisers are expecting a turnout of nearly 10 lakh this year, with farmers from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh expected to participate in the event, besides those from across the state.
Among the key attractions of the event is the Seed Mela, wherein farmers will be able to procure seeds developed at UAs and the Agriculture Research Station. Furthermore, progressive farmers will also sell seeds from their fields at the event. With a bountiful monsoon having been forecast this year, farmers are expecting a rich harvest on their kharif crop, and seeds for all the crops are expected to be available at the mela this year.
More than 25 stalls stocked with technical implements for agriculture will offer merchandise to the farmers, who are being encouraged to utilise the opportunity to give themselves the much-needed edge.
UAS, Dharwad vice-chancellor MB Chetti, explaining the meaning of the term ‘secondary agriculture’, said, “Secondary agricultural activity refers to adapting to changes in climate, in addition to turning farming on small fields viable, sustainable utilisation of natural resources, et al. Promoting secondary agricultural activity dovetails into the larger plan of moving towards a more sustainable development model.”