The Hindu : Karnataka News : ‘Testing’ time for farmers

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Karnataka

Karnataka

‘Testing’ time for farmers

Shankar Bennur

Over 1,200 appear for an examination conducted by Mysore Akashvani

In full concentration: Farmers appearing for the examination at the office of Joint Director of Agriculture in Mysore.

MYSORE: It was a different experience for the farmers of Mysore, Mandya, Chamarajnagar, Tumkur, Ramanagara, Kodagu and Hassan districts when they appeared for an examination. They were upbeat when they appeared for the “uncommon examination” since the topic was on integrated farming.

Like any student, farmers, including several women, wrote the examination with utmost seriousness. It was conducted by the Mysore Akashvani, the Mysore Zilla Panchayat and d the Department of Agriculture, as part of “Krishi Kanaja,” a special programme for farmers broadcast on 100.6 FM of the Akashvani.

The response to the examination was so overwhelming that the authorities had to open additional centres at the offices of the Joint Director and Assistant Director of Agriculture and many villages in addition to the Raitha Samparka Kendras. As many as 1,203 farmers appeared for the examination, making it one of “biggest” examination conducted for farmers in the State, in the recent years.

“It is first time that farmers in such huge numbers appeared for an examination. It was a serious affair for them too. We had conducted examination for farmers in the past, but the number this time was phenomenal,” said N. Keshavamurthy, transmission executive (Krishi Ranga), Akashvani, Mysore.

“Krishi Kanaja,” a weekly programme on integrated farming launched on April 6, 2007, is broadcasted on Friday at 6.50 p.m. The 45-minute programme had become a big hit not just in Mysore, Mandya and Chamarajnagar districts but also in neighbouring districts.

The programme was broadcast for almost a year. Farmers had been told to note down information given in each episode since an examination would be conducted at the end of the series and prizes would be given to the best farmers.

Scientists from the State agricultural universities and officials from the line departments had been roped in as resource persons for the programme.

Topics such as cropping pattern, dairy farming, sheep rearing, horticulture, bio-technology, crops for the monsoon, crops for summer, irrigation plans and so on were covered in 52 episodes of the programme.

The examination was announced and the date was set for February 29. The authorities identified 40 examination centres across seven districts.

The questions — objective type — were prepared by the resource persons. The objective type questions carried 45 marks and five marks for writing their observations on the programme; experience on the field and inputs on the schemes introduced by the Agriculture Department.

Mr. Keshavamurthy said a committee comprising experts and resource persons had been constituted to evaluate the farmers’ answer scripts. “No decision has been taken on the format of presenting the prizes, but will be distributed to the top scoring farmers on March 28,” he said.

Examination centres had been opened at Naganahalli and Chikkanahalli in Mysore taluk; Turuganur in T. Narsipur taluk; Kaggalur in Nanjangud taluk, and Shanaboganahalli in Periyapatna taluk since there were more number of farmers from these villages.

The farmers are now very curious to know the results and had even spoke to the officials to announce the results at the earliest.

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