Mangalore : A training programme was inaugurated on Tuesday, July 13, by Santosh Kumar Bhandary, DK ZP chief at Agricultural Sciences Centre in Mangalore, with Dr. K.M. Shankar, principal and Head of Marine farming at the Fisheries College of Mangalore presiding over the function. Chief Guests included S.D. Sampath Samrajya, DK Dt. Krishak Samaj president and Head of Horticultural Science College, Bagalkot, V.K. Shetty, CEO, State Fisheries Development Corporation in Mangalore, and RKS Naik, Assistant Director, Marine Products Exports Development Corpn, Mangalore, besides Parshwanath, ZP Fisheries Deptt. Assistant director in Mangalore for DK dt.
The programme was jointly organised by Agricultural University, Bangalore, Agricultural Science Centre in Kankanady, Mangalore, Karnataka Fisheries Development Corpn, in Mangalore, Mangalore Marine Products Exports Development Authority, and Educational Extension Deptt, Fisheries College in Mangalore. The programme started at 10.30 Am on July 13th.
Bhandary lighted the traditional lamp of knowledge at the venue to inaugurate the event. Speaking on the occasion, he lamented that the agricultural produces in the state have no proper sales or marketing centres. Machinery supplies, and subsidies provided by the state have transformed agriculture on a large scale. Apart from farming as the main occupation, farmers have done cattle farming, raising poultry, breeding pigs and rabbits for food purposes. These additional hobbies should be able to bring a good income to the farmer in his small land holdings at large. The various phases of agriculture also need to be promoted and tended to make his life in society happy. One has to create alternatives to food grains cultivation in rural areas, for which the present fish farming programme also will lend a helping hand, Bhandary suggested. He asked the rural farmers to widen their portfolios in farming instead of using land for one purpose, food grains only.
Dr, Rajesh compered the training programme on Gold fish rearing and other decorative fish production, as also breeding methods contained in the practical work.