First of its kind ‘farmers’ school’ opened in Karnataka

The idea is to empower those engaged in agriculture and also those keen on taking it up as a profession or hobby.
The Farmer School (Raitha Shaale) at Alakere village in Mandya district
The Farmer School (Raitha Shaale) at Alakere village in Mandya district Photo | Udayashankar S
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MANDYA: A group of teachers has come forward to open a first-of-its-kind ‘Farmers’ School’, which is ‘of the farmers and for the farmers’, at Alakere village in Mandya taluk.

The idea is to empower those engaged in agriculture and also those keen on taking it up as a profession or hobby.

Led by Sathyamurthy, a lecturer from Mandya, the seven-member group, all teachers from families of farmers, decided to open the school after seeing the plight of farmers during last year’s drought and Covid-19 pandemic, and also considering various problems, including the increasing number of suicides by farmers.

The aim of the group is to make agriculture lucrative and farmers self-reliant in all aspects. This will help prevent migration of youngsters from villages to cities in search of jobs and also farmers from selling their land.

The group has visited more than 200 villages to understand the problems of farmers. To encourage them, it has roped in experts in agriculture and progressive farmers.

Apart from educating farmers, the group is keen on holding training camps, field visits and sessions by experts at the ‘Farmers’ School’.

After forming ‘Kempegowda Vokkaligara Welfare Group’, the teachers laid the foundation stone for the school recently.

The school will showcase success stories of farmers from various countries, including Israel. A seminar hall and a few classrooms will be ready in two months at Alakere. The group has plans to open many such schools across the state.

Sathyamurthy said farmers are free to walk into the school for guidance on farming. “We will also guide youngsters, including techies, keen on farming,” he added. 

Seeds handed over to 500 small farmers’

Pradeep Kumar, a lecturer, said the group has distributed seeds to 500 small and marginal farmers and is encouraging them to preserve them for future. This will help them reduce their dependence on multinational companies for seeds.

Stating that many houses have been locked at Alakere and Keelara villages as farmers have migrated to nearby towns and cities in search of jobs, he said, “We want them to come back and resume farming.”

“We have plans to own a paddy harvesting machine and other farm equipment and give them to farmers on a nominal rent,” he said. The school has prepared a list of progressive farmers to encourage them to take up organic and natural farming and reduce their dependence on fertilizers and pesticides, he said.

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