The three-day Krishi Mela conducted by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Mandya, which culminated on December 7, brought renewed focus on the need for sustainable and integrated farming and the imperatives of value-addition to agricultural produce.
The event also reinforced the need to promote market linkages and technological adoption to make agriculture more lucrative. The importance of institutions like UAS, Mandya, in reaching out to farmers and ensuring that the research in laboratories also reaches the farm land was emphasised during the three-day mela.
A recurring theme at the mela was the need to reduce dependence on chemical inputs and revive organic and natural farming practices.
Speakers and experts aired their concerns over the steady reduction in the area under cultivation, with many farmers using only parts of their land and compensating with high chemical fertiliser use.
With Mandya, Hassan, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, and Kodagu largely dependent on rain-fed farming, participants stressed that sustainable soil and water management should form the backbone of future strategies.
Calling for a decisive shift towards sustainable and integrated farming, Nishchalanathananda Swami of the Vishwa Vokkaligara Mahasamsthana Mutt said agricultural universities must prioritise practices that improve soil health, reduce chemical dependence, and help farmers secure stable incomes. He expressed concern over the growing disconnect between farmers, cattle, and land, and said that this could endanger future generations.
The Swami also stated that UAS, Mandya, should play a central role in in providing practical guidance to farmers in Mandya, Hassan, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, and Kodagu, where there is extensive practise of agriculture under rain-fed conditions. He emphasised that Mandya should be treated as a “field laboratory” for research-driven yield improvement.
He further added that the Krishi Mela highlighted the district’s deep agricultural roots and thanked the government for upgrading the research station at Mandya into a full-fledged agricultural university.
Stating that the country has recognised that its economic progress depends on strengthening agriculture, he said improved farmer incomes must remain the core goal of policy. Government schemes, scientific research, and market linkages are already helping individual farmers make notable progress, and wider adoption would accelerate rural growth, the seer added.
Awards were also given to progressive farmers from the five districts that UAS Mandya has jurisdiction over. Earlier, there were discussions pertaining to sustainability through integrated farming, agro-forestry systems and technologies, value-addition of crops, marketing systems and export opportunities, agricultural entrepreneurship and opportunities for a robust economy.
Shivaratri Deshikendra Swami of Suttur Mutt, Darshan Puttannaiah, MLA, Melkote, Harini Kumar, Special Officer, UAS, Mandya, and others were present.
Published – December 07, 2025 06:38 pm IST
