AgriWalk held in Bengaluru to spotlight value addition, farmer empowerment
Bengaluru (PTI): Hundreds of citizens of different age groups took part in the 'AgriWalk' held at Cubbon Park here on Sunday, as the Karnataka Agriculture Department sought to spotlight the need to move agriculture beyond mere production and empower farmers as entrepreneurs, officials said.
The walk, organised as a pre-event to the upcoming International Trade Fair 2026, was held under the theme 'A Walk for Empowering Farmers' aimed at creating awareness about value addition, processing, branding and sustainable agricultural practices as pathways to improving farmers' incomes.
The Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy flagged off the walk near the Cubbon Park Bandstand. The walk commenced at 6 am and covered a route passing through Queens Road, Vidhana Soudha, BBMP Tower, UB City Signal and Vittal Mallya Road, before concluding at the Bandstand.
Nearly 4,000 participants, including children, youth, women and senior citizens, registered for the AgriWalk, reflecting growing public interest in food systems, farmer welfare and healthy lifestyles. A Zumba dance session was organised as a warm-up activity prior to the walk, a release said.
The AgriWalk scheduled to be held from February 6 to 8 at Tripuravasini, Palace Grounds, here, it said.
Cheluvarayaswamy said, India's agricultural strategy is undergoing a major shift from mere production to profitability, with a renewed emphasis on value addition, branding and market linkages to turn farmers into entrepreneurs.
He said sustained initiatives by the Central and State governments have led to a steady rise in agricultural output, enabling the country to move ahead of many other nations. "The challenge now is not just producing more, but ensuring farmers earn more by processing their produce, adding value and accessing markets directly," he said.
The minister said empowering young farmers as agri-entrepreneurs is a key focus of the government's policy framework. This vision, he added, is at the heart of the upcoming agricultural fair.
He said the three-day event will serve as a platform connecting farmers with technology, branding opportunities and national markets. More than 300 stalls, including those of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), will showcase modern machinery, processing techniques and innovations spanning the entire agricultural value chain.
According to officials, Bengaluru, with its health-conscious population and strong market for organic and value-added products, was described as having the potential to emerge as a global hub for processed and value-added agricultural produce.
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Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached Gurugram in the evening and joined the yatra. He also walked some distance with Brijendra, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and other leaders.
Huge crowds had turned up for the occasion.
Later, Gandhi proceeded to the venue where he addressed a public gathering.
Leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, B K Hariprasad, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, were also present.
Brijendra Singh had on Thursday said it is a matter of joy for them that Gandhi was joining the 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram-Badshahpur, "thereby strengthening the Indian National Congress' campaign for brotherhood and harmony".
The 'Sadbhav Yatra' began from Danoda village at Narwana in Jind on October 5, 2025, and has covered 85 of the 90 assembly segments in the state.
The foot march was started by Brijendra Singh, son of Congress veteran Birender Singh, to highlight several national and regional issues.
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh had asked all party leaders to take part in Friday's event.
Days before his yatra began in October, Brijendra Singh, who narrowly lost the 2024 assembly polls from Jind's Uchana Kalan, accused the ruling BJP of playing "divisive politics" and said that "sadbhav" (harmony) has come under stress in the last decade.
Brijendra Singh was a sitting MP from Hisar for the BJP when he resigned ahead of the 2024 general election and switched over to the Congress. He also alleged that the saffron party creates a wedge in society to achieve its political purpose.
The 'padyatra' has so far covered 85 assembly constituencies in Haryana, traversing more than 2,700 kilometres.
Addressing the public gathering, Brijendra Singh said the yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he took the party's vision and values directly to the people of the country.
Singh said the yatra has highlighted issues like "Vote Chori" (vote theft), unemployment, poor law and order situation, agrarian distress, and issues related to government employees, labourers and traders.
"Sadbhav (harmony) and bhaichara (brotherhood), which the BJP is attempting to weaken, are the messages of this yatra," he said, adding that its slogan is "Congress ka haath bhaichara ka saath".
"This yatra is a natural extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Brijendra Singh said.
