Krishi Mela highlights cutting-edge digital farming 

This year’s Krishi Mela, themed “Climate Smart Digital Farming”, was inaugurated on Thursday (November 14) at the Gandhi Krishi Vignan Kendra, University of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore (UAS-B). The event showcased cutting-edge technology aimed at transforming traditional farming practices.

With over 700 stalls, the mela featured a range of advanced agricultural tools, including AI-operated sprinklers, app-controlled solar equipment, and multi-spectral drones designed for yield monitoring. Robotics technologies, such as boom sprayers and automated bird scarers, captured the attention of visiting farmers.

Real-time alerts

One of the highlights was ‘Nero,’ a technology developed by Bengaluru-based company Fyllo. This device, equipped with in-built sensors, provides real-time alerts on soil quality, temperature, and other environmental factors. “It has a one-km range and uses a simple traffic signal system on its app — red indicates danger, orange signals caution, and green means all is well,” explained Jayaram C.S., an entomologist with the company. Nero is particularly useful for maintaining crops like pomegranates, grapes, papayas, and carnations.  

Another innovation came from Mewin Technology, which demonstrated an app enabling farmers to control motors and pumps remotely. “The app has a robust range, eliminating the need for farmers to be physically present to operate pumps. It also monitors pump pressure,” said Vivek, a company representative.

Farmers’ experiences

Farmers attending the event shared how these technological advancements have improved their yields. Anand, a farmer from Mandya, said, “I’ve been coming to Krishi Mela for ten years. The demonstrations here have helped me adopt new technologies like hybrid seeds and sprinklers, which have significantly boosted my farm’s productivity.”

However, not all feedback was positive. Some farmers raised concerns about the high cost of these innovations. Rajesh, a farmer from Basaralu village in Mandya district, remarked, “I’ve been attending since the first Mela. The technology is impressive, but it’s often too expensive for small-scale farmers like us. What’s the use if we can’t afford it?”

Govt. support, initiatives  

Agricultural Minister N. Chaluvarayaswamy stressed the importance of integrating modern technology for sustainable and profitable farming. He highlighted the government’s initiatives to support farmers, noting that there are over 78 lakh farmers and 125 lakh agricultural labourers in Karnataka.

“Agriculture has been the State government’s top priority. Last year, the government distributed machinery and irrigation equipment worth around ₹1,000 crore with subsidies. Additionally, it provided ₹2,100 crore in direct cash transfers to farmers as crop insurance. The government has also implemented a Hi-Tech Harvester Hub scheme to provide large harvesting machines with substantial financial assistance,” the Minister said.

Published - November 15, 2024 07:06 am IST