Minister N. Cheluvaraswamy and others releasing the poster of Krishi Mela in Mandya on Tuesday
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy said on Tuesday that infrastructure development work of Mandya Agricultural University would start in due course, and the Cabinet has already cleared ₹23 crore for the purpose against ₹100 crore reserved by the government.
Speaking to reporters in Mandya, the Minister said such immediate financial support on the inception of a varsity is rare. “In the very first year of the establishment of the varsity, around ₹100 crore was reserved for infrastructure development out of which the Cabinet has given approval for ₹23 crore, said Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy.
He pointed out that although approval for the Shivamogga Agricultural University was granted in 2008, the token advance was released only in 2013, whereas all formalities for the Mandya Agricultural University were completed within one year.
He said the univeristy has received UGC recognition within six months of its establishment, and the credit should go to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. “The Congress government’s major contribution to Mandya is the agricultural university in the district,” he said.
The Minister, who released posters for the Krishi Mela to be held in the district in December, said that such fairs provide benefits to farmers and give them exposure to new technologies.
Besides, farmers get to learn about new crop varieties in addition to various schemes launched by the government, the Minister added.
The Krishi Mela will be held at the Mandya Agricultural University’s V.C. Farm and more than 350 stalls showcasing developments in the farm sector will be set up.
The event will be spread across 60 acres of land and arrangements have been made for live demonstrations of various farm-related technologies.
The Minister said about 400 to 500 live demonstrations, and the introduction of crop varieties will be the salient features of the Krishi Mela.
Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said efforts were on in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Philippines, to develop rice varieties with high-disease resistance, including a variety suitable even for diabetic individuals.
“Earlier, developing a single crop variety would take more than ten years, but the gestation period now hardly two years, and it is possible due to development in agricultural science and research in agricultural universities,” said the Minister.
C.D. Gangadhar, Chairman, MySugar Factory, Harini Kumar, Special Officer, Agricultural University, and others were present.
Published – November 25, 2025 08:45 pm IST
