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Farmers and elected representatives from Dakshina Kannada district have urged the Karnataka government to encourage cooperative farming activities in the unused paddy fields in the district.
Speaking at a review meeting conducted by Karnataka Agriculture Minister BC Patil in Mangaluru on Tuesday, Rajesh Naik, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Bantwal, said that a significant portion of farmers with small land holdings have not been cultivating paddy in their fields for many years. They feel it is uneconomical for them to cultivate paddy in small land holdings.
The Dakshina Kannada district, which was once self-sufficient in paddy cultivation, is now relying on other districts to meet its needs. The government should conduct a survey of such unused paddy fields in the district and encourage interested groups of farmers to take up cooperative farming in such unused paddy fields, he added.
Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament from Dakshina Kannada, supported Naik’s views.
Reverse migration
Referring to the implications of Covid-19 on the farming sector, Prabhakara Mayya, a farmer from Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, said that many youngsters from rural areas, who had left for urban centres in search of greener pastures, are now coming back to their roots. Many such youngsters are seeking his guidance on planning their future in farming.
In such a situation, the government should encourage farmers to take up cooperative farming in unused paddy fields. An additional 250 hectares of land can be brought under paddy cultivation in Dakshina Kannada district with such an initiative, he said.
Another farmer who attended the meeting urged the government to conduct a village-level survey of unused paddy fields in the district.
The Minister asked the Agriculture Department officials in Dakshina Kannada to conduct a survey of such unused paddy fields in the district so that further actions can be taken on their effective utilisation.
The Minister also said that the State government will urge the Centre to bring activities related to paddy cultivation under the MGNREGA programme.
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