Dharwad: There is a heavy demand for sowing seeds at the seed unit of the Krishi Mela. On the first day alone, 228 quintals worth Rs 21.7 lakh, and on Sunday, 500 quintal of seeds worth Rs 45 lakh were sold, with safflower and cowpea (alsande) seeds being the most in demand.Since both seeds are in high demand, a notice has been put up at the seed unit, stating that each farmer will be given enough seeds to cover two acres of land.Farmers from Haveri, Davanagere, Chitradurga, Koppal, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, and Vijayapura, among other places, purchased seeds. Sales included 55 quintals of jowar (sorghum), 74 quintals of groundnut, 48 quintals of cowpea, 27 quintals of safflower, 22 quintals of wheat, and 50 quintals of vegetable seeds.Both rain-fed and irrigated crop seeds are available. Along with Dharwad Agricultural University’s stall, stalls from other universities-in Shivamogga and Bagalkot, are also present.“I needed 50 kg of safflower sowing seeds but here they are saying it is already out of stock. They managed to sell the safflower seeds in just one day,” said Ishappa, a farmer from Hasagal in Koppal district.
