Four-day krishi mela in Dharwad from September 21

Vice-chancellor of UAS Dharwad P.L. Patil addressing presspersons in Dharwad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, will host the annual krishi mela for four days from September 21 on the university premises with the theme ‘agricultural technologies for management of climate change’.

For the first time, the university will use QR code for registration of the participants.

Addressing presspersons in Dharwad on Saturday, vice-chancellor of UAS Dharwad P.L. Patil said the main objective of the mela was to provide information on farm technologies and around 14 to 16 lakh farmers were expected to participate this year.

Cropping systems for climate change management, integrated crop management, bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides, oilseeds, pulses and rabi crops technologies would be the prime attractions during the fair this time.

Focus had also been laid on agro-forestry and fodder crops technologies, animal husbandry and livestock exhibition, value addition and secondary agriculture and community science technologies, he said.

Prof. Patil said that like before, a seed mela to distribute quality seeds for rabi season would be held with a formal inauguration scheduled on September 21. 

As many as 469 quintals of rabi sorghum, 300 quintals of wheat, 1,212 quintals of bengal gram, 68 quintals of safflower, 12 quintals of black gram, 28 quintals of cow pea, 76 quintals of groundnut, 11 quintals of navane, with a total of 2,176 quintals of seeds would be available for sale during the mela, he said.

Prof. Patil said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will formally inaugurate the mela on September 22 at 10.30 a.m. and also give away best farmer and best farm women awards.

The vice-chancellor said that a separate agri-startup pavilion will be set up to showcase innovative products and services offered by start-ups. A total of 22 start-ups from Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat supported under RKVY-Innovation and agri-preneurship programme, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare will participate, he added.