The district administration has decided to focus on educating farmers on water management, on growing less water-intensive crops, and to promote extensive cultivation of millets during the three-day Raitha Dasara.
Raitha Dasara will be held from September 22 to September 24.
Keeping in mind the failure of rain and drought in Mysuru and adjoining districts, the district administration wants to prevail upon the farmers to shift from cultivating water-intensive crops like paddy and sugarcane to less water-intensive crops such as millets and pulses. Hence it is engaged in selecting resource persons who can properly guide farmers to shift to less water-intensive crops and earn a descent income out of it.
Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep and Joint Director, Agriculture, K.M. Somasundra told The Hindu that there will be a seminar and interactive session on September 22 at the MMS Alumni Building. Agriculture scientists, progressive farmers, and agriculture officials will deliver lectures on water-intensive crops.
It may be recalled here that the district administration at the behest of the government had not provided water to crops such as paddy in the command area owing to failure of rain.
There will be a Dasara Raitha Dasara procession from Kote Anjeneyaswamy Temple in Mysuru palace to the J.K. grounds on September 22. District in-charge Minister H.C. Mahadevappa will inaugurate the procession. An exhibition of agriculture implements and various other agriculture equipment will be held for three days at the J.K. grounds. Agriculture Minister Krishna Byregowda will inaugurate the exhibition on the same day at the J.K. grounds.
Different games are planned for farmers on September 23. The games include 75 metre sprint carrying a 50 kg bag of fertilizer, lifting of heavy iron ball, and gunny sack race for men farmers, and a running race carrying pot of water on their head and lemon spoon race for women farmers. However, the organisers have dropped the slush race (Kesaru Gadde Ota) and ragi grinding contests this year for reasons unknown.
There will also be a State level cow milking competition on September 24 at the J.K. grounds in two different sessions – 6.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. Cash prizes for the milking competition are: first prize ₹50, 000, second prize ₹40,000, and the third prize ₹30,000. Animal Husbandry Minister A. Manju will distribute prizes to the winners of the cow milking competition.
In all, over 1,500 farmers are expected to take part in Raitha Dasara.
