ENCOURAGING FARMERS: B. Nagaraja Shetty, Minister for Horticulture and Fisheries, M. Mahadevappa, former chairman of ASRB, and P. Parvatha Reddy, former director of IIHR, at the Rashtriya Bagwani Kisan Mela in Bangalore on Friday.

Bangalore: Research undertaken by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) in evolving new varieties and developing new production and post-harvest technologies has been effective in increasing productivity of horticultural crops in the State and country, B. Nagaraja Shetty, Minister for Horticulture and Fisheries has said.

He was speaking after inaugurating the two-day Rashtriya Bagwani Kisan Mela and Exhibition at IIHR here on Friday.

Mr. Shetty said horticultural crops were cultivated on 15.8 lakh hectares, which was 14.44 per cent of the net cultivated area in the State. The Minister said cultivation of fruits, vegetables, medicinal and aromatic plants, and spices had proved to be profitable. "Water, nutrient, disease and pest managements have helped make cultivation economical. Pesticides and chemicals should not be used indiscriminately," he said.

He urged the scientists at IIHR to develop a package on organic cultivation of horticultural crops and popularise it among the farmers. P. Parvatha Reddy, former Director of IIHR, said India was yet to achieve self-sufficiency in horticulture. He decried the use of chemical fertilizers and said they were the main cause for increase in soil salinity. "There are eco-friendly ways that do not affect production and such methods need to be popularised," he said.

The former Chairman of Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) M. Mahadevappa said he was hopeful that the Government would extend help to improve the horticultural sector. S.D. Shikhamany, Director of IIHR, welcomed the gathering and M.R. Hegde proposed a vote of thanks.

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