Udupi MLA K. Raghupathi Bhat said on Wednesday that 1,500 acres of proposed 2,000 acres of fallow land which will be brought under paddy in his Udupi Assembly Constituency in this kharif season is ready for transplantation of seedlings.
Addressing presspersons in Brahmavar of Udupi district, the MLA said that the Kedarottana Trust, which he heads, has proposed to grow paddy organically on 2,000 acres which remained fallow for over two decades in his constituency. It will be part of the “Hadilu Bhoomi Krishi Andolana” taken up by the trust. Councillors from 35 wards of Udupi City Municipal Council and presidents of 19 gram panchayats under the constituency are members of the trust.
Mr. Bhat said that as a prelude, while preparing the fallow land for cultivation, the trust has removed silt from “thodus” (rivulets) on the edges of such land to a length of about 300 km now.
The MLA said that transplantation will be launched on June 5, World Environment Day, under the jurisdiction of Kadekar Gram Panchayat. Seedlings for transplanting initially on 30 acres are kept ready. Seedlings are being raised on 15,000 trays on mat nursery format at the Krishi Vignana Kendra in Brahmavar.
Later, transplantation will be taken up in phases to cover 2,000 acres.
The MLA said that it is estimated that 24 lakh kg of paddy can be grown on 2,000 acres. Cultivation will also help in recharging groundwater. The entire project will cost about ₹5 crore.
Mr. Bhat said that the cost of cultivation per acre has been estimated at ₹25,000. An acre can yield a quantity of paddy that will fetch ₹10,000. There will be a deficit of ₹15,000 per acre.
Hence, those who like to bear the cost of cultivation through donations can contribute to the trust through its bank account. Such fields of cultivation where farming has been supported by donors will be named after them.
The MLA said that 13 paddy transplanters brought from outside Udupi are also kept ready for use. MO-4 variety of paddy will be grown on these fields.
Mr. Bhat said that some farmers, prompted by the activities of the trust, have come forward on their own to bring about 500 acres, which otherwise remained fallow for more than 25 years, under paddy in this kharif season.
