BENGALURU: The three-day International Trade Fair 2026, themed “Agriculture Beyond Production – Empowering Farmers,” was inaugurated on Friday at Palace Grounds, bringing together farmer groups, students and agri-entrepreneurs from across the State. The fair highlights Karnataka’s efforts to move agriculture beyond cultivation towards value addition, sustainability and market integration.
Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy said the fair focused on post-harvest activities such as processing, branding, certification and market linkages to improve farm incomes.
18 progressive farmers were honoured in the inaugural event for innovative contributions, while 104 farmers received ‘Krushi Prashasthi’ Awards for achieving high yields in selected crops.
The exhibition featured more than 300 air-conditioned stalls, selling diverse products like millet ice cream, banana stem-infused dosa and idli batter, fig-infused sugar-free barfi, wood apple-based products, mushroom snacks, pure woollen handmade ‘Kambali’ (blanket).
Beekeeping initiatives highlighting the role of honeybees in pollination and biodiversity were a major attraction, with stalls displaying honey, beeswax-based products and bee hotels. Students, including those from the University of Agricultural Sciences (GKVK), actively participated in the exhibition.
The event highlighted natural farming practices, organic certification and GI-tagged products, while the Branding and Credit Services Pavilion facilitated interactions between Farmer-Producer Organisations and financial institutions. A separate section exhibiting old agricultural tools and artefacts provided insights into traditional farming practices.
