In a bid to tap the potential of agriculture and allied sectors through proper policy initiatives, the State government has decided to organise an interaction for legislators with Indian Council of Agricultural Research Director-General S. Ayyappan on the sidelines of the winter session of the legislature in Belgaum.
Announcing this after presenting awards to innovative farmers on the fourth day of the International Krishi Mela here, Minister for Law and Animal Husbandry T. B. Jayachandra said that he had spoken to Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa in this connection.
Later, he told reporters that Dr. Ayyappan, who is secretary to the Union Department of Agricultural Research and Education, had agreed to make a presentation to legislators on emerging opportunities in agriculture and allied sectors.
“Dr. Ayyappan will touch upon the export potential in different areas and the policy changes to be made to cash in on the emerging opportunities. The interaction programme will lead to policy changes in the agriculture and allied sectors,” the Minister said.
The interaction will be held at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belgaum.
Expressing concern over cattle being frequently affected by diseases, he said that the State government had decided to take up a programme to encourage research on developing disease-tolerant breeds of sheep and goat.
Union Minister of State for Small and Medium Enterprises K.H. Muniyappa, Dr. Ayyappan, MLC M.V. Rajasekharan and University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Vice-Chancellor K. Narayana Gowda spoke.
Rajyotsava award
Dr. Ayyappan was honoured with the Rajyotsava award on Sunday at krishi mela by the Law Minister, as he could not attend the award presentation ceremony on November 1 due to official work.
20 lakh visitors
The krishi mela has become a crowd puller with 20 lakh persons attending the event in the first four days.
Disclosing this to The Hindu , Dr. Narayana Gowda said that about 6.5 lakh persons visited the mela on Sunday by 5 p.m.
“The final figures for Sunday is yet to be updated,” he said.
Referring to the number of farmers visiting visited the mela, Dr. Ayyappan described it as a “Krishi Kumbh Mela”.
