BENGALURU: This year’s Krishi Mela is unique, not just because the rain and the muddy roads added to the feel, but because farmers took the stage and lead the mela. This year, the festival was inaugurated by tribal woman turned farmer, Premadasappa. She lit the lamp on the dias in the presence of a series of dignitaries. The humble women was honoured by professors and officials of Gandhi Krishi Vignan Kendra (GKVK), where the four-day mela is being held.
She inaugurated the mela in the absence of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Agriculture Minister B C Patil, as the politicians decided to give the event a miss, citing model of conduct as the reason. Waterman of India Rajendra Singh participated in the event and encouraged farmers to undertake water conservation efforts along with farming.
Rajendra Prasad, Vice Chancellor, GKVK, said, “Due to the pandemic, quite a number of techies and engineers have quit their profession and turned to farming. Many are also into weekend farming, mostly in the outskirts of Bengaluru, cultivating fruits and vegetables.”
Over 12,000 farmers have registered for the mela, while many other participants registered on the spot. Ten new crop varieties and 28 new technologies were launched. The mela also has 550 stalls showcasing traditional, endemic and hybrid crop varieties, technologies and machinery tools in farming apart from cattle, poultry, marine farming. This year, they are focussing on the sale of seeds, saplings and even poultry.
Also on the occasion, GKVK is honouring 140 farmers and startup professionals for the commendable work done in the farming field, bringing in new technologies, innovations and employment generation.