At a high-profile Bengaluru gathering on Friday – the International Trade Fair-2026, Post-Harvest Agri-Empowerment drive, and State Agri-Scientist Awards – Chief Minister Siddaramaiah mobilized Karnataka’s farmers against the Centre’s ‘VB-G Ram Ji’ scheme, a purported ploy to axe MGNREGA and impose the Viksit Bharat Employment Guarantee Mission.
Siddaramaiah’s government vows to fortify agriculture, making it lucrative through post-harvest innovations. He called on farmers to diversify into entrepreneurship: ‘Cultivate, store, process, package, market, innovate by-products – own the value chain.’
Celebrating honored women farmers as beacons, he advocated broader gender inclusion in agribusiness.
Support is robust: superior seeds/fertilizers/pesticides, Rs 1,500 crore equipment aid, No.1 crop insurance status with Rs 6,000 crore claims settled.
Breaking crop silos – sugarcane prices negotiated, tur dal centers ahead of schedule, maize eyeing 54L MT with MSP Rs 2,400/qt, 40L MT assured off-take by ethanol/industry players.
To youth: Reclaim farms; from 80% to 62% dependency signals crisis. Food sovereignty won; Congress revived Krishi Bhagya (Rs 200cr) post-BJP halt.
Empowerment schemes – Shakti trio for women, Anna Bhagya for thrift – ensure fairness.
MGNREGA’s legacy: Village-driven work for women/tribals/laborers under Singh. Centre’s takeover erodes it. ‘Farmers, rally for MGNREGA, ditch VB-G Ram Ji,’ he concluded forcefully.