Udupi: Govts apathy to farming thrives bcoz of nil vote-bank in farm sector – Dr Alva

By B Pundalika Marate
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 01 Mar 2017: Our governments are neglecting farming and farmers. It’s chiefly because the farmers does not come under vote bank politics whichever the party may be. They are regarding farmers lightly on the basis of caste and religion, said Dr M Mohan Alva, chairman of Alvas Education Foundation®, Moodbidri.

 

Dr Mohan was speaking after inaugurating Udupi district farmers convention that was held at Sharada Kalyana Mantapa, here on Sunday, February 26. It was organized by farmers’ fraternity of Udupi district.

 

 

Its owing to the wrong policy of state administration farming is heading for extinction, like the error of shutting down Kannada medium schools. In order to make farming profitable, there should correlation between crop and prices. If the farmer produces more crops, but government does not make necessary marketing, the farmers are likely to suffer huge losses that would drive them to commit suicide because of farm loans. The state apathy on farming is contributing for dwindling farmlands, said Dr Mohan.

 

Farmlands in coastal district are abode of rural games. The irony is the of late the farmlands are left disused.  Despite this we struggle to save Kambala, the buffalo’s race. The Kambala that is held without farming is like horse race in towns. It should not happen. It calls for the struggle to save farming and Kambala together; Dr Mohan expressed his deep concern.

 

AIR – Mangaluru head of farming division T S Prasad in his keynote address shed light on farming, the difficulties of farmers, multiple crops and economic empowerment through farming.  

 

The progressive farmers Ramachandra Bhat, Karamballi Manjunat Nayak, Manipura Wilfred Mendonca, Anjaru Bharati Shetty and Kenja Shankar Poojary were felicitated on the same occasion.

 

The district farmer’s fraternity president Bantakal Ramakrishna Sharma presided the programme.

 

The general secretary Kudi Srinivas Bhat presented the report. The vice president Srinivas Ballal welcomed the gathering. The secretary Ravindra Gujjarabettu delivered the preliminary address. Sudharma Kundar proposed vote of thanks.

 

The mega exhibitions of farming equipments, chemical fertilizers, hi-breed seeds were thronged by hundreds and thousands of farmers on the occasion.