Kisan Grameena mela to be held from Wednesday

Karimnagar: “Ina bid to boost the economic progress of farmers, women's groups, and rural communities, the ‘Kisan Grameen Mela’ is set to be organized on a grand scale once again in Karimnagar under the aegis of Kisan Jagran,” announced its president P Sugunakar Rao.

Talking to the newsman, here, on Sunday, he said that former Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya will grace the event as the Chief guest. He highlighted that the exhibitions held in 2022 and 2023 drew record crowds of farmers from across Telangana—the highest in the state. “This time,” he added, “the mela will feature even more innovative programmes to surpass those numbers.” The Mela will be held from December 24-26 from 10 am to 7 pm at Ambedkar Stadium in Karimnagar.

Noting that farmers from remote areas often can't attend exhibitions at Hi-Tech City or Exhibition Grounds in Hyderabad, he explained that Karimnagar was chosen to bring technology directly to the farmers' doorstep.

“Several agricultural experts will guide farmers on diversifying beyond paddy cultivation through avenues like palm oil, poultry farming, and goat rearing to achieve at least Rs 1 lakh in income per acre. Additionally, in areas around SRSP canal where waterlogging damages paddy crops, techniques for profitable fish and prawn farming will be demonstrated,” he said. “Success stories from local Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) will also be shared, including the Chintakunta village FPO led by Ara Shankaraiah (₹2 crore turnover), Konaraopet FPO (Purushotham Rao - honey bee project), and Boyinapalli FPO (Venugopal G),” said Rao.

The mela will also spotlight new technologies, such as the government's app for urea booking, low-labour high-profit honey bee farming, and modern equipment for coconut pluckers to ease their work.

Progressive farmers, agricultural scientists, and experienced practitioners will participate to share their insights.