Category: Agriculture

** Ash gourd farmer in Karnataka gets helping hand from down under

Sunil Shetty from Balkunje village in Dakshina Kannada is among the few farmers who has got help from afar to ensure that his entire lot of ash gourd crop did not go a waste. A Good Samaritan from Australia saved him from financial distress.

Hotelier Sudhir Shetty, a native of Dakshina Kannada now doing business in Australia, has bought about 20 tonnes of Mr. Sunil Shetty’s produce through a friend, the Surathkal-based power system entrepreneur Kiran J. Bhandary. He asked Mr. Bhandary to distribute the ash gourd free of cost to those in need in the region. However, since offering ash gourd for free is regarded a taboo, Mr. Bhandary sold it at ₹1 a kg till Saturday.

** Visionary urban forester S. G. Neginhal succumbs to COVID-19

Visionary urban forester and former Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer S. G. Neginhal, 93, who played a pioneering role in greening the city facing growth pangs in the 1980s succumbed to COVID-19 in the city Sunday morning.

** Agri war room’ reopens in Bengaluru to help farmers

The war room would help farmers seek guidance on the price situation in different markets for their produce including vegetables, fruits, and flowers. They can also get information on availability of farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, farm implements, and subsidy schemes, Agriculture Minister B.C. Patil said.

Farmers can seek guidance from the department by calling helplines 080-22212818 and 080- 22210237 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Two technical officers and a deputy director (agriculture) will monitor the helpline.