BENGALURU: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy directed officials to ensure that farmers do not face any difficulties in procuring seeds and manure. Farmers are engaged in agriculture activities following good rains during last week.

This year the state has received 51 per cent excess rainfall than the regular pre-monsoon rains and the monsoon will also arrive three days early to the state, said the CM, at a review meeting of Agriculture, Sericulture and Horticulture departments.

According to a release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, “The CM told the officials to ensure that farmers don’t face any hiccups in their activities and to work according to the expectations of the farmers. He also instructed the Chief Secretary to take action against those distributing low-quality seeds to farmers and ensure good quality seeds are distributed to the farmers.”

Chief Minister suggested that superior technologies and practices followed by farmers in Israel are adaptable in Karnataka and can benefit the farmers immensely. The CM said a pilot project employing the Israeli agriculture technology will be launched at 900-acre Visvesvaraya Canal (VC) Farm in Mandya on a pilot basis. The state government also will invite the experts from Israel to hold workshops and training to our farmers, he added.

In the review meeting of Horticulture department, the Chief Minister said that new technologies will be introduced in horticulture department’s large farms spread across the state and this will be done to benefit farmers.

CM pointed out that around Rs. 1,500 crore rupees is due to the farmers from the sugar factories and this will require the central government’s intervention. He said that he has instructed the officials to do the needful to seek the central government’s early intervention in the matter.

Source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/