Badiyadka, 22 August 2026: Award-winning farmer Krishna Prasada Ammankallu has urged young people not to abandon agricultural land even if they choose to work in cities or abroad, stressing the need to protect farming and make it economically sustainable.
Krishna Prasada was speaking after receiving the Best Farmer Award 2026 from the Department of Agriculture Development and Farmers’ Welfare, Badiadka Grama Panchayat Krishi Bhavan. Addressing the gathering during the Agriculture Day programme, he welcomed the government’s initiative to identify and honour farmers at the panchayat level every year.
He said he had taken up farming about nine years ago and had experienced first-hand the challenges faced by farmers. “Farmers are considered the backbone of the country, but the backbone needs strength,” he said, highlighting the economic difficulties involved in continuing agriculture.
According to Krishna Prasada, the challenges of farming should not discourage people from entering the sector. Instead, farmers need to change their approach and look at agriculture from a different perspective.
‘Change the way we look at farming’
He emphasised the need for a change in mindset as well as farming practices. Krishna Prasada said farming can provide a sense of self-reliance and satisfaction that cannot always be measured only in terms of income.
For him, the experience of cultivating one's own land, producing food and remaining connected to agriculture provides a different kind of fulfilment. He also called for greater participation of young people in agriculture.
‘Work in cities, but do not leave your land’
Making a direct appeal to the younger generation, he said people could work in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai or even abroad, but should not give up their agricultural land. He urged young people to return to their villages and explore agriculture rather than allowing farmland to remain unused or be permanently lost to other purposes.
Message assumes significance at a time when farming communities are facing challenges related to income, labour availability and changing aspirations among younger generations. Krishna Prasada said his own farming journey had begun without any expectation that he would one day be recognised for his work. The award, he said, was an encouragement not only for him but also for the wider farming community.
Recognition for contribution to agriculture
Best Farmer Award 2026 was presented to Krishna Prasada in recognition of his exemplary work and contribution to the agricultural sector. Award certificate issued by the Department of Agriculture Development and Farmers’ Welfare, Badiadka Grama Panchayat Krishi Bhavan, recognised his activities as a model for the farming community and his contribution to agricultural development.
Award also gave him an opportunity to use the platform to make a broader appeal: agricultural land should be protected, farming should be made more viable, and the younger generation should not lose its connection with agriculture.
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Krishna Prasada Ammankallu, Best Farmer Award 2026, Badiadka Best Farmer Award, Krishna Prasada farmer, youth and agriculture, Kasaragod farmers, Agriculture News, Citizen News Puttur