Shimoga,: Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Saturday said telemetric rain gauge would be installed in each gram panchayat across the State for the benefit of the farming community.

Addressing a three-day Krishi Mela organised by University of Agricultural & Horticultural Sciences (UAHS) and the agriculture department, at Navule, he said since farmers had complained they are unable to get accurate details on rain as telemetric rain gauge had been installed only in a few places in a district, the government had decided to install them in each gram panchayat.

On the custom-hiring of agricultural machinery centre, he said the government has decided to set up 186 centres across the State, including seven in Shimoga, at a cost of Rs 70 crore.

Farmers can hire agricultural machinery such as tractors, tillers, cultivators and diggers at affordable price under the scheme to make up for the shortage of farm labour. Besides, soil health card will be distributed to farmers in the next three years.

The agriculture department officials will test the sample of soil and a card will be distributed to farming community. A tender has been floated in this regard, he added. He said the government has enhanced the percentage of reservation for children of farmers in agriculture universities from 23 to 40 to encourage children of farmers to pursue agriculture oriented courses and take up farming in the future.

Internship stipend

Apart from this, the stipend given to final year students during the internship has been enhanced from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000.

He said in order to prevent misuse of subsidy by agriculture machinery companies, the government would credit subsidy directly to K-Kisan account of farmers to purchase farming related equipment worth above Rs 5,000.

The process of opening K-Kisan account was in progress and farmers would be provided with K-Kisan card soon.

He said the government would purchase paddy, maize and other agriculture produce under MSP scheme at the procurement centres if the situation demands.