BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday called upon farmers across the state to collectively oppose the Union Government’s move to scrap the UPA-era MGNREGA and implement the VB-G-RAM-G Act, alleging that it was introduced without the consent of states.
“State farmers must oppose this move in one voice,” the CM said, while speaking at the International Trade Fair–2026 on “Post-Harvest Agriculture – Empowering Farmers” and the State-level ‘Krishi Pandit’ awards programme.
Siddaramaiah said that agriculture can be made profitable only through post-harvest activities. “Farmers should not stop at cultivation alone. They must also engage in storage, processing, packaging, marketing and by-product development,” he said, adding that farmers should emerge as entrepreneurs.
The chief minister also stressed the need for greater participation of women and youth in agriculture.
Siddaramaiah further said that Karnataka ranks No.1 in the country in implementing crop insurance schemes and that crop insurance claims worth Rs 6,000 crore have been disbursed so far.
Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy said, “The government aims to transform farmers into entrepreneurs through branding, marketing and access to credit,” he said.
The minister said that over 450 high-tech harvest hubs have been established across Karnataka.