There is a Krishimela going on in UAS Dharwad, Karnataka. Started on 21/09/13 will end on 24/09/13.
Surprised to see response of the farmers. I checked what is the gathering, organizers said it will touch up 5 lakh (one single day). Until I saw the crowd I did not realised the gravity of the fair. Farmers from remote districts Chamrajnagar, Mysore, Goa, Pune had come.
Stalls were so much crowded, it used to take alomst 1 minute to break the chakravyuha (inaccessible).
I missed out so many stalls because of inaccessibility.
Farmers were humble, humorous but most are addicted to chewing tobacco. the mela was well organized, every minute buses shuttled from railway station, bus stand. Totally farmer friendly.
Highlights of the mela
Demonstration plots were OK Ok. The emphasize was on fodder,maze.
Fruit and flower show was good. They had organized items what market demands.
Exhibition had stalls of seeds,chemical fertilizers, Pest control, Agri equipments etc.
Few TC labs were selling saplings.
Agri Magazines, DVDs stalls.
Animals section had good display of Desi cows, Dog show, Sheep,Chicken.
There was big crowd around a stall which was selling powder to increase milk yield.
Overall good mela.
Key points:
I found company who takes turn key contract to solve salinity issue of the paddy field. They lay perforated pipeline below ground and collection pit in a lower elevation to collect excess water. They charge 45K/acre. they guarantee within 1,5 years they can solve the salinity issue.
A stall selling latest sickles, fruit harvesters, sickles with ergonomic handles, engineered edges,carbide tip sickles.
A company selling compact seed drill which can be mounted on tiller, tractor or even on plough.
KVK (not sure if it was Bagalkot KVK) selling exotic vegetable seeds, they also offer training. The names exotic vegetable like bokchoy, paitsai, celery, zucchini have already started rolling over farmers mouth. (my question if small farmer starts growing these, will it loose the stature of exotic?)
In today’s news paper, Chief minister has also announced 90% subsidy on drip, irrespective of small or big farm holding ( I guess there is a ceiling of 5 acres for 90% now). Not sure when it will be implemented.
no-way days, what we mainly noticed in these type of mela’s…70% of organisations/stalls/participant’s will be non-existence, inexperienced ,not really genuine in the products/services/business will be presenting either for sudden encashment of the huge crowds/gather and some time experimenting.
Even we can’t held responsible for all such peoples, when we come to know about it after mela’s…classic example for such was, registration carried out by non-exist PDFA-Karnataka in Agri- tech 2012…Hundred’s of all dairy farmers of karnataka paid Rs.100 each and registered, and getting photograph’s …then we come to know that it is fake.
Can u believe a powder can increase the milk in a cow…? one of a sudden… without any proper understanding… First of all we have to educate our farmer’s in all basic levels instead of encouraging such practices.
Recently, when we visited the gujarath was also one such mela i.e. vibrant gujarath 2013, but it was differed in some of aspects in that one realy attracted me was… The government’s all departments have provided , supported and assisted various progressive farmers of it’s state with unique individual stalls , whom are all recognised/rewarded at taluk/district/state level for their innovations/methods/achievements were facilated with a very brief video,displays and practical explanations/clarifications from the same person who is recognised as progressive farmer to all interested visitors. The displays were standard and unique in all stall…like his/her biodata,address, communicating address, his/her achievements , last three years graph and data of his activity etc.,. we learnt that the stall charges,preperation of video providing material responsibility was taken by each individual concerned department and it was free of cost. Such stall visiting farmers were so happy and it was helpful to communicate each other for the achieved farmer authentically and to build up a system of sharing and growing community of such.
Not only check the reliability of the commercial stalls ,our organisers has to innovate such ideas to help farmers otherwise it will become like a showcasing/opportunistic mela’s and loose the sanctity of the purpose and effects the genuine either side participant’s too.
we don’t know whether all it will happens or not…?