Krishimela 2024: Roaring success despite rain, encourages innovations

PTI, Nov 16, 2024, 6:31 PM IST

Bengaluru: Even the rains could not deter the hordes of people flocking to Krishimela 2024 inside the sprawling 1,320-acre campus of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Bengaluru, popularly known as the GKVK Campus, late Friday evening.

The outgoing crowd, clutching an assortment of saplings and other goodies, only spurred the incoming visitors to quicken their pace. They were eager to catch the annual celebration of all things agriculture, organised by UAS since 1966.

With the mela running until November 17, the Bengaluru Traffic Police has already issued an advisory anticipating larger crowds over the weekend.

The theme of this year’s event, ‘Climate Smart Digital Agriculture’, focused on sustainable, innovative practices to tackle climate challenges. The mela underscored the role of agricultural universities in sparking interest on farming in youth, and driving economic growth in the sector.

“About 2 lakh people are expected to visit on Saturday and Sunday. So, there will be slow-moving traffic between Byatarayanapura junction and the Jakkur stretch. Plan your journey accordingly,” stated the police advisory released on November 15.

On Friday, visitors thronged nearly 700 stalls showcasing innovations aimed at reducing farmers’ workloads, such as drones and cultivators.

While most stalls catered to large-scale farmers, the fair also featured crowd favourites like massage devices and innovative kitchen gadgets.

For many, attending Krishimela feels like “visiting a village fair.” However, for 36-year-old Y C Shantamma from Kagallahalli in Ramanagara, this year’s fair was life-changing.

“I won the state-level Young Best Farm Woman award. It’s an honour I can flaunt in my village for years,” said a beaming Shantamma.

The award, she added, serves as inspiration for further innovation.

Shantamma began farming 18 years ago after marrying Narasimhamurthy, who managed a six-acre farm cultivating mangoes and coconuts.

Their earnings were meagre until she encouraged him to diversify and adopt new techniques.

“We started rearing silkworms seven years ago, and it changed the game for us,” she explained.

Recently, they planted dragon fruit trees on an acre of land, a move she hopes will improve their financial stability.

“It’s still not enough; whatever we earn, we spend. But I’ve realised that farming can be profitable if we keep up with the times. I’ll even support my 15-year-old son or 17-year-old daughter if they decide to take up farming, something I wasn’t open to earlier,” she said.

Another farmer, 35-year-old V S Praveen from Vagarahalli in Hassan, shared a similar story. Praveen, who won the Young Best Farmer award this year, has significantly increased his income by embracing innovation. “Silkworm rearing upped the game for me,” said Praveen, who also grows jowar and methi.

Inaugurating Krishimela on November 15, Karnataka’s Agriculture Minister, N Chaluvaraya Swamy, highlighted the government’s efforts to encourage the state’s 78 lakh farmers to adopt technology, aided by subsidies. He lauded institutions like “UAS for developing high-yield, low-cost crop varieties to address the challenges of climate change.” Inspired by the recognition, Praveen is motivated to explore new opportunities introduced at the fair.

“This award has come at the right time. I feel driven to push myself further in this direction,” he added.