Budding young scientists, farmer innovators and the general public had come out with over 350 models on farm equipment, management of soil and water in farming and others, at Anveshana – Agri Tinkering Fair.
The fair is organised by Vivekananda Vidyavardhaka Sangha, in association with Karnataka Laghu Udyog Bharathi and Campco, at Vivekananda English Medium School in Thenkila on Saturday.
Students from class 9 to PU, ITI, professional colleges and farmers had exhibited their innovations in the form of over 350 models.
Organic insecticides made of cactus and cashew nuts, models on recycling of water, machine for tilling and sowing, model on hydro farming, verticle gardening, machinery to fill arecanuts into a sac from drying yard, models on spraying machines and others attracted the attention of visitors.
Prajwal of Ramakunja Kannada Medium School had come out with a model ‘vital resource saver’. The model helps in saving water in offices and households. Under the model, a meter is fixed to the water tap. The tap will get switched off after a designated time.
Kalladka Sri Rama Vidya Kendra’s Gayathri came out with a box made of iron strings to protect Banana raceme from the monkey menace.
Hemaswathi and Khushi from Vivekananda PU College, Puttur, came out with a model on how plastic waste can be used for the production of gas and petrol.
Earlier, inaugurating the fest, District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said farmers do not require loan waiver, instead, they require encouragement from the government.
Instead of loan waiver, the successive governments should have given priority to various welfare programmes for the farming sector, he added.
There is a need to teach the art of living with soil to children, said the minister.
“I have noticed farmers concentrating on cultivating only sugarcane. At this juncture, the government should motivate the farmers to take up other crops. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi is effective for the farmers. There is a demand from farmers to increase the financial assistance to them under the scheme,” he said.
The minister said the methods of Israel system of farming need to be applied to farming methods in India, to make farming more effective.
MLA Sanjeeva Matandoor said that to create an environment of scientific temperament, innovation, creativity amongst Indian Students, the Centre had started Atal Tinkering labs in various schools.
Mechanisation in farming will help the farmers to get a good yield and also save energy, he added.
Karnataka Laghu Udyog Bharathi President P S Srikanta Datta, Vivekananda Vidyavardhaka Sangha President Dr Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, Campco President S R Sathishchandra and others were present.