‘Raitha Peeta’ prize debuts to fill void in farmer recognition

Karkala: Muniyalu village, located in Karkala taluk of Udupi district, witnessed the launch and first conferment of the ‘Raitha Peeta’ award, established specifically to express gratitude for farmers’ essential role in sustaining the country.

Entrepreneur and initiator of the award, Dr. Ramakrishna Achar noted during the event that, remarkably, India lacks any major award focused exclusively on celebrating farmers’ service to the nation. To bridge this oversight, the ‘Raitha Peeta’ was created, drawing inspiration from the prestige of the Jnanpith Award by seeking to honour outstanding lifetime work and excellence specifically in agriculture.