This government initiative hopes to give ‘farm’ a cutting-edge ‘form’

Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy recently said that to double the income of farmers in Karnataka, there was a need to provide an appropriate platform to establish market linkages by showcasing multiple products under various schemes.

This initiative will also create awareness among farmers, consumers and other stakeholders, and facilitate access to national and international markets.                               

The Department of Agriculture successfully organized Organic and Millets International Trade Fairs in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025, which attracted a large number of stakeholders, generated significant interest and achieved notable success.

The fairs included high-quality exhibitions, international conferences, producer-marketer meetings, farmer workshops, organic and millet food courts, and consumer-connect events, all of which contributed to overall sectoral development.

The ensuing International Trade Fair 2026 will be organized with a new and distinctive concept titled: “Agriculture beyond Production – Empowering Farmers” and will be supported by the following sub-themes:

• Processing and Value Addition: Creating awareness among small-scale food processors, farmer groups and self-help groups regarding the importance of grading and quality, certification, and facilitating linkages with various stakeholders.
• Agro-Ecology: Promoting environmentally sustainable farming and processing practices that increase farm income while enhancing positive environmental impacts, and enabling engagement with relevant stakeholders.
• Branding and Credit Services: Creating awareness among farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) on the importance of branding and output-based credit for expanding market opportunities, and providing practical linkages with reputable credit institutions.

The proposed Trade Fair will be organized at the Tripura Vasini Palace Grounds, Bengaluru, from February 6-8 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), in collaboration with the State Directorate of Secondary Agriculture, Department of Agriculture.

As part of pre-event activities, all districts will organize programmes in alignment with the Trade Fair’s themes.

During the main event, dedicated theme-based pavilions will be established for Processing and Value Addition, Seed Production, Agro-Ecology, and Branding and Credit Services.

The Karnataka Pavilion will showcase the State’s finest FPOs, regional federations, start-ups and farmer groups, featuring unique and innovative processed and value-added products.

Overall, the objective of the Trade Fair is to provide an appropriate platform to transform the State’s farmers into entrepreneurs through the promotion of processing and value-addition initiatives.