Mysore/Mysuru: Joint Director of Agriculture Dr. B.S. Chandrashekar said “Siridhanya Nadige (Walk) and Siridhanya Habba have been organised on Dec. 28 in the city to create awareness about Siridhanya (Millets) among  the people.”

Addressing media persons at his office in CADA premises in the city recently, Dr. Chandrashekar said “The event has been organised under Central Government’s Food and Nutritional Security, in association with District Administration, Zilla Panchayat and Agriculture Department. Apart from encouraging the people to use millets, it is intended at creating awareness among the people about its benefits.”

Siridhanya Nadige will be flagged off at 8 am in front of Kote Anjaneyaswamy temple premises at 8 am and will pass through KR Circle and D. Devaraj Urs road before culminating near old Deputy Commissioner’s Office. The school and college students, Officers and representatives of various associations will carry placards with slogans on the significance of millets. Later, the participants will be given food made of millets, added Dr. Chandrashekar.

Later, Siridhanya Habba will be held at P. Kalingarao auditorium, Dasara Exhibition Grounds in the city, which will be inaugurated by Social Welfare and District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa. The transportation arrangements have been made to bring interested farmers from all the taluks of the district to programme venue.

Over 500 farmers are expected to participate in the event. Experts will be delivering lectures on improvised methods in cultivation of millets, processing and value addition and delicacies prepared using millets. The progressive farmers will also be sharing their experience, he said. About 20 stalls will be provided for entrepreneurs interested in exhibition and sale of value-added millets, as part of the programme. Interested entrepreneurs may enrol their names with the Assistant Director of Agriculture.

Farmers Day

The district-level Raitha Dinacharane (Farmers Day) coinciding with the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, regarded as the champion of farmers, will also be celebrated on the day (Dec.28) along with Siridhanya Habba.

Mysuru district witnessed a deficit of 17 percent rain in monsoon, but the rainfall in the range of 0 to 19 percent including deficit and more, is considered as normal. Hence the pre-monsoon rain can be considered on par with seasonal predictions. During pre-monsoon period, the target of sowing was 60,300 hectares of land, but the target was exceeded by sowing in 63,000 hectares (103 percent) of land. Following the rainfall in October, various crops like Ragi, Huruli (Horse Gram), maize, alsande (cow pea) and avare (Fresho Beans) have been cultivated.

No fertiliser scarcity

There is no scarcity of fertiliser in district, with private merchants, KSSE, Marketing Federation among others having more than adequate stock of fertiliser. Measures have been taken to see to it that there will not be any complaints related to fertiliser, seeds and insecticide, added Dr. Chandrashekar.

In the current fiscal, total 35 farmer suicide cases have been reported from April till date, with  highest of 18 cases reported in Periyapatna. Of the total 35 cases, 27 are eligible for compensation, with five rejected and time given to submit relevant documents in the case of three others. Among the eligible cases, ex-gratia of  Rs. 5 lakh is given in 23 cases and the records related to four others submitted to the Government. The compensation amount will be directly credited to the bank account of next of the kin. —Dr. B.S. Chandrashekar, Joint Director, Agriculture