On the occasion of National Farmers’ Day, food providers who have made significant contributions to the agricultural sector were honored
BENGALURU
National Farmers Day was celebrated at an event jointly organized by Samanvaya Trust, Food Chain Campaign, Institute of Agricultural Technologists and ICAR-KVK, Dakshina Kannada. The event brought together farmers, agricultural experts and policy makers to recognize their contributions to agriculture and discuss the challenges currently faced by the farming community.
The Krishikara Vandana Sambhram 2025 Rural Leadership and Agricultural Excellence Awards were presented at the event. Padma Shri awardees Satyanarayana Beleri, Amai Mahalinga Nayak, Harekala Hajabba and Abdul Khader Nadakattin were honoured for their contributions in the field of agriculture. Two Rajyotsava awardees were also felicitated.
Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy said, recognizing farmers is not limited to awards, but rather reflects the respect that society should pay to them. Honoring the Padma Shri and Rajyotsava awardees is a great honor for the entire farming community of the state. The simplicity and discipline of the awardees are values that people should learn from.
Despite these challenges, many farming families have continued to work with commitment and responsibility. Both the state and central governments should pay more attention to agriculture. When this sector is supported, a large portion of the population can live in stability, he said.
Farmers have benefited from more than Rs. 5,000 crore through crop insurance and more than Rs. 1,500 crore as machinery subsidy. New crop varieties and advisory services are being provided in coordination with universities and agriculture departments,” he said. ‘Harvest to Home’ platform was launched to connect farmers and consumers. It is an e-commerce platform available as an Android app and web portal. The platform aims to connect farmers directly with wholesale buyers and consumers through B2B and B2C options.
Sumangala, founder and CEO of ETV India’s Samanvaya Group, explained, this platform will help farmers access markets easily and reduce their dependence on middlemen. Farmers and consumers are being brought together on a single platform. Here, products can be ordered directly, just like other online platforms.Speaking about efforts to support women farmers by setting up processing and packaging units, she said, These units, which are expected to be inaugurated in April, are expected to provide employment to about 2,000 women.