Four-day Krishi mela ends, sees over 12 lakh visitors

Krishi Mela at UAS-Bangalore witnesses record visitors and business, showcasing agricultural innovations and honoring women in agriculture.

The four-day Krishi Mela, organised by the University of Agricultural Sciences- Bangalore on the GKVK campus, drew to a close on Sunday, witnessing 12.46 lakh visitors and showcasing agricultural innovations. The mela saw a whopping ₹34.13 crore business.

It was inaugurated on November 14, under the theme “Climate smart digital farming”. Around 700 stalls were set up this year, showcasing various agricultural and technological innovations. During the mela, the University released four new crop varieties of maize, cow pea, sunflower, and bajra.

Shalini Rajneesh, Chief Secretary of Karnataka, who was invited as the chief guest to the closing ceremony, said, “Krishi Mela serves as a model to the country. Farmers, who visit the mela, benefit mutually as they share and learn new information about agricultural techniques and varieties from other farmers.”

Our youth need to adopt digital technologies in agriculture and revolutionise the field. Foreign countries are lauding our modern agricultural practices because of the use of extensive information and technology in agriculture, she said.

Over 140 awards were distributed to those who have achieved significant strides in agriculture at the State, district and taluk-levels. And, the Chief Secretary commended the recognition and honour that women received in this fair for engaging in agriculture.

Farmers, who attended the mela, said that they liked the value of information available here every year.

Shreya Dasari, a resident of Kolar, said, “Whenever I attend the mela, there is something to learn about new agricultural technologies. I also had the opportunity to learn some techniques that are adopted by other farmers for growing their crops. Krishi mela helps the faming community.“