The government had just initiated preparations for the Krushi Mahotsav and the state Agriculture Department had even issued a circular listing various programmes and functions that were to be held in the entire rural Gujarat, covering about 18,000 villages during the month-long exercise.

“Besides the code of conduct being implemented by the Election Commission, Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his ministerial colleagues will be busy campaigning for the party candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. Even senior officials

attached to the department will be engaged in the poll-related work till April 30. Hence, a decision has been taken to postpone the Krushi Mahotsav”, said Gujarat Agriculture Minister Dilip Sanghani.

Sanghani told Newsline on Wednesday that though the postponement of the annual gala agricultural event would be a set back to farmers, particularly the small and marginal ones engaged in the kharif season, the government has plans to launch this campaign soon after the elections. The Mahotsav will, however, focus on how to boost the Rabi crops in the state.

The government has been organising the annual event since 2005 between April and May, involving participation of the chief minister, ministers, secretaries of various departments, senior officers from agriculture, animal husbandry and horticulture departments and scientists from the four agriculture universities of the state.

During a month-long campaign, the Krushi Rath allotted to each of the 225 talukas across the state is taken out covering all the villages. In the process, farm experts and scientists explain to peasants how adoption of modern farm technology and micro irrigation system can increase their kharif yields.