Ponnampet: While others of his ilk engage in political activities, attend ceremonies and boast about the achievements of the Congress Government, A.S. Ponnanna, the Congress Legislator representing Virajpet in Kodagu district, is fostering a connection with his Constituency by involving himself in paddy cultivation.

Just yesterday, he arrived at a field in Nallur village near Ponnampet and actively participated in a demonstration of mechanised rice cultivation through transplanting.

This event took place in the farmland of Somengada Ganesh Thimmaiah, an accomplished farmer and recipient of the Rajyotsava Award. Thimmaiah employs integrated farming methods, successfully growing both agricultural and horticultural crops.

In the face of a significant shortage of skilled labour in Kodagu, Ganesh Thimmaiah employs machinery for transplanting paddy in his fields. Ponnanna inaugurated the event and personally operated the machine, evoking memories of his childhood when he was part of a family group dedicated to rice cultivation.

Through the act of planting rice saplings, the MLA instilled inspiration among the attending citizens and officials. His enthusiasm for promoting mechanised rice cultivation was evident as he ventured into the fields, adeptly transplanting seedlings with skilful hands.

Subsequently, Ponnanna learned about Ganesh Thimmaiah’s diversification into additional income streams such as poultry farming, apiculture, and pisciculture. In addition to the usual crops like coffee, pepper, ginger, mango, orange and jackfruit, Thimmaiah has successfully cultivated                          rambutan fruit. The MLA commended Ganesh Thimmaiah’s integrated approach to agriculture, which encompasses main crops like areca, coffee and paddy, alongside a variety of vegetables, fruits and sub-crops, at a time when people are increasingly shying away from ‘non-lucrative’ agriculture.

The MLA, formerly serving as the Additional Solicitor General of Karnataka, currently holds the position of Chief Minister Siddharamaiah’s Legal Advisor with the status of a Cabinet Minister. He is the son of the late A.K. Subbaiah, a dynamic political leader from Kodagu.