Founder-president of Dakshina Kannada Oil Palm Growers’ Association Todikana Vasanth Bhat passed away on Friday. He was 70 and is survived by his four children and wife.
Mr. Bhat, from near Sullia, was instrumental in introducing oil palm cultivation in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. When many tracts of arecanut plantations in DK were destroyed by the yellow leaf disease, he took up with the government the initiative of introducing oil palm in such plantations replacing arecanut palms.
Being an oil palm grower himself, he got involved in creating awareness on oil palm cultivation in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. He had been admitted to a hospital in Sullia three days ago where he died on Friday, sources said.
The Sullia Taluk Oil Palm Growers’ Association has called a meeting to condole his death at APMC yard in Sullia on Saturday at 10 a.m.
