The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod, will organise a two-day kisan mela and horticulture fair at its Research Centre, Kidu, near Kukke Subrahmanya from October 12.
The CPCRI will expose farmers to the latest farm technologies and also to rainwater harvesting and soil water conservation practices, a release from the institute said on Wednesday.
Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, will be the guest at the inaugural session at 10.30 a.m. on Saturday. Venkatesh N. Hubballi, Director, Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development, Kochi, will deliver the keynote address.
There will be interface with farmers on soil and water conservation, seminar on cocoa and arecanut cultivation, and workshop on honey bee farming during the two days. The fair will remain open from 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. on both the days.
It will be a platform for growers, wholesalers and stakeholders of every segment of agriculture, horticulture, dairying and animal husbandry, farm machinery and equipment and allied sectors who want to expand and diversify their business activities. By considering the transformation taking place in the agriculture sector in India and to facilitate doubling of farmer’s income by 2022, there is need to empower farmers with new technologies, it said.
Prizes will be distributed to winners of various competitions conducted as part of the mela and fair at the valedictory function.
The CPCRI has International Coconut Gene Bank for South Asia and Midle East (ICGA-SAME) established in Kidu in 1998. Now it has world’s largest collection of germplasm for coconut with 455 accessions. The Research Centre also conserves 178 arecanut accessions and 515 cocoa accessions, the release said.
