The Hindu : Karnataka News : Karnataka lays out plans for organic farming

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Thursday, Jul 17, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Karnataka lays out plans for organic farming

S. Rajendran

BANGALORE: The Karnataka government is embarking on a major plan to encourage organic farming in the State, and Thursday’s budget is expected to have an allocation of funds for this.

The State will have a full-fledged wing to monitor organic farming. Experts in agriculture and horticulture and agricultural scientists are being roped in under the plan.

A sum of Rs. 100 crore is expected to be set apart for organic farming, including a scheme to motivate farmers to adopt organic farming techniques.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa told The Hindu here on Wednesday that his third budget would be markedly different from the ones that he had presented over the past two years when he was Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister in the H.D. Kumaraswamy Government.

He said, “Every sector will have an enhanced allocation. Even funds for the development of backward areas will be substantially high.”

Fertilizer shortage

With reference to organic farming and chemical fertilizers, the Chief Minister said the shortage of complex fertilizers in the State as of now was nearly 1.5 lakh tonnes. Farmers were again making a beeline to fertilizer depots after the good rainfall in most parts of the State.

Call to Opposition

“I call upon the Opposition parties to work with the government in exerting pressure on the Union government to make available adequate fertilizers to the State. There cannot be politics in matters concerning the State, the farmers, etc. I am ready to join the Opposition parties in staging a dharna on the fertilizer issue,” he said.

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