Karnataka - Mangalore   

KDP meet favours Kerala policy to promote paddy cultivation

On the decline:A paddy field at Kadri Kambala in Mangalore.

MANGALORE: The Karnataka Development Programme Reviewing Committee, Dakshina Kannada, at its monthly meeting here on Tuesday resolved to recommend to the State Government to emulate Kerala's policy to promote paddy cultivation in the district.

The meeting decided that from the academic year of 2011-12 all schools in the district should compulsorily take students on a field visit to educate them on the importance of agriculture. Schools should take students to the fields of progressive farmers to promote interest among them in agriculture.

President of the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat K.T. Shailaja Bhat, who is also the chairperson of the committee, presided over the meeting.

Joint Director of Agriculture A. Padmaiah Naik said that the area under paddy cultivation in the district was dwindling. The youth were not keen on taking up agriculture. Many of them migrated to urban areas in search of jobs. If paddy fields were lost, the water-table in the district would be hit. He expressed concern over the decline in growing food crops in the district.

S.D. Sampath Samrajya, president of the Dakshina Kannada District Krishik Samaj, who is also a member of the committee, said that the Kerala Government gave monetary incentives to farmers who switched over to paddy cultivation. In addition, it had constituted a paddy task force. This task force comprised workers trained in paddy cultivation. It was a mechanised workforce. As there was a shortage of farm workers, those interested in paddy cultivation could contact the task force. The task force would cultivate paddy for such farmers for the cost agreed upon. This could be emulated in Dakshina Kannada, provided the State Government took a policy decision on it.

Mr. Samrajya said that schools should take students to the fields of progressive farmers instead of organising annual tours to places of worship. This would help in encouraging students to take up agriculture and become successful agriculturists in the future.

P. Shivashankar, Chief Executive Officer of the panchayat and secretary of the committee, said that farmers in Dakshina Kannada and Kerala followed similar agriculture methods.

Mr. Shivashankar said that the Department of Public Instruction under the panchayat would direct schools to take students to fields of farmers compulsorily from the next academic year.

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