Mangalore : State Minister for Forest and Ecology and DK District in-charge Minister B Ramanatha Rai inaugurated a workshop on ‘Rejuvenation of cashew crops and agriculture’, organized as a part of birth anniversary of Dr M H Mari Gowda  at Nethravathi Auditorium of Zilla Panchayath on August 12, Monday.

Addressing the audience, Rai said that the government has made an effort to extend possible help to the growers and farmers suffering from loss of the crops due to diseases.

ZP CEO Tulasi Maddineni said funds sanctioned under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will be used for cultivation of  jasmine, arecanut and coconut for the year 2013-14.

Yogish H R, deputy director of Horticulture department said that the department is interested in implementing cashew rejuvenation programme under the National Horticulture Mission and the government has released funds required for the rejuvenation of 700 hectares of cashew trees in Dakshina Kannada district.

Mangalore South MLA JR Lobo also spoke on the occasion.

Zilla Panchayat vice president Rithesh Shetty released a handbook brought out by the horti clinic in the district, while Jayashri, President of ZP Standing Committee on Agriculture released handbooks on cashew rejuvenation programme and programmes of Horticultural Department.