Hubballi :

Streetside Chinese snack makers would struggle to find red cabbage, which is not grown in the district, and the cost of the leaf flower is high, too, because it would be imported from neighbouring districts and states.

To cover this deficit, local farmers are beginning to grow red cabbage, having discovered that it is lucrative. There are other such crops, too, which are attractively priced. Snack stalls use red cabbage extensively to garnish Chinese dishes like gobi manchurian, noodles and salads, and in its absence, looked for alternatives.

Anitha Golappanavar, a resident of Managundi of Dharwad, has taken up cultivation of this infrequently grown vegetable, with technical aid from the horticulture department. “I studied the marketing strategy of red cabbage and learnt the mechanisms of growing it with their assistance. It can be easily grown as we grow common cabbage in the Dharwad climate,” she said.

She added that it has limited marketing network, so she found a way to market it online, because it has a good market in Mumbai, Mangaluru and Delhi. “I was inspired by a documentary on a private TV channel and got information on the internet. It’s an experiment in our land; my husband is also an employee of the horticulture department, and technically supported me to grow it with drip irrigation. The seeds were brought from Mysuru.”

Arun, food manager at Denissons Hotel, said red cabbage is used for garnishing salads and snacks, and is costlier than the regular green-white cabbage. “We used to bring them from Bengaluru, Belagavi and other parts of the state. If it’s available in the local market, it is helpful for us, especially street vendors,” he said.

Saralamma, senior assistant director of the horticulture department, said details of the grower and supplier, contractor and user of the flower are easily available on websites. The crop could a get good a price in the market and the climate of the district is suitable for growing it, too.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatime.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hubballi / TNN, September 07th, 2015

For the last five years, Kolhar town of Basavanabagewadi taluk is witnessing a unique type of jatra. During the fair, an association of progressive farmers arranges a Krishi Mela (agriculture fair) for educating the farming community about the importance of organic farming.

“It is a one-of-its-kind event which is purely by the farmers, of the farmers and for the farmers. Unlike any other agriculture fair which organised by government, here, only the farmers contribute to the event,” said Siddu Balagonda.

The progressive farmer who is behind the unique event says that for the last five years he has been organising the fair with the help of other farmers in the town during the Uppashappa temple fair. He said that they noticed that during the annual religious fair, hundreds of people, mostly farmers were arriving to the temple.

“We thought of using the opportunity to hold an event which could help the farming community.

Thus, we chose to organise an agriculture fair on the issue of organic farming as it has become the need of the hour,” Mr. Balagonda said.

Winner of ‘Krishi Pandit’ and a recipient of many such awards, he said that owing to excess and unabated use of chemical fertilizer, the soil is losing fertility and commodities are becoming unhealthy.

‘Save soil’

“The best way out to save soil and have healthy food is to switch over to organic farming.

“The fair essentially focuses on this critical aspect where every year we call the experts and progressive farmers to make farmers aware of its significance for the present and future generation,” he said.

To a question, he said that the farmers have contributed around Rs. 7 lakh for holding the event.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Firoz Rozindar /Kolhar (Vijayapura Dist). / August 25th, 2015