A rich harvest of awards for innovative farmers

The University of Agricultural Sciences-Bangalore presented awards to 205 innovative farmers, including 96 women. A horticultural scientist and an extension official were also honoured for their contribution to the welfare of farmers.

In the past, these annual awards were presented in the presence of thousands at the annual Krishi mela. However, the award presentation was low-key this year as the mela was not held owning to drought in the State.

But this did not deter the spirit of the farmers, who with their families, turned up at the ceremony. Governor H.R. Bhardwaj presented the State and district-level awards.

The Dr. M.H. Mari Gowda National Best Horticultural Scientist Award went to Nazeer Ahmed of Shimoga district, who is at present serving as Director of the Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture in Srinagar.

Their feats

The Dr. M.H. Mari Gowda State-level Best Horticultural Farmer Award was presented to Devendrappa Honnakerappa Goneppanavar of Hosalli village in Gadag district, who has not only reaped rich harvests on four acres of dry land through organic and integrated farming, but has mentored a large number of farmers. He shared the award with Ashok Kumar of Rampura village in Kolar taluk, who is known for his experiments with water conservation while growing vegetables and horticultural crops.

The Corporation Bank-sponsored Corp awards were presented to N.R. Surendra of Nijayappanadoddi in Ramanagaram taluk, who has excelled in integrated farming and K.B. Pratibha of Jyothi Mallapur of Arsikere taluk who found success in dairy farming.

Dr. Dwarakinath Best Extension Worker Award, instituted by the former Vice-Chancellor of UAS-Bangalore, was presented to B. Raghu, Senior Assistant Horticultural Director of Kanakapura. The Dr. Dwarakinath Best Farmer Award went to a farmer couple from Kundapur — Thimmanna Hegde and B.M. Vijaya Hegde — for their success in integrated farming and for inspiring others.

Young get recognition

As many as 33 innovative farmers, including 16 women, were honoured with district-level Best Farmers’ awards. In addition, 166 young farmers, including 78 women, were honoured with taluk-level Best Youth Farmer awards, introduced from last year to inspire and retain youth in farming.

A scientists-farmers’ interaction meet was also held in which farmers spoke of various problems affecting their crops with experts.

Speaking on the occasion, UAS-B Vice-Chancellor K. Narayana Gowda stressed the need for retaining farm youth in agriculture. Dr. Gowda, incidentally, heads a committee constituted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to suggest ways to retain youth in farming.