Udupi: In an effort to attract more youth towards agriculture, a mass paddy sapling plantation programme was organised by the Udupi Devadiga Yuva Vedike in Padualevoor on Wednesday. Members of the organisation completed the paddy planting work in 75 cents of a field in a period of three hours.  It was well appreciated by the locals.

Yuva Vedike secretary Ashok Sherigar welcomed the gathering. Speaking on the occasion Vedike General secretary Prabhakar K S said, “we have plans to organise similar programmes every year and our intention is to attract more youth to the field of agriculture and also to provide sufficient knowledge about preserving it for the future generation”. Paddy cultivation is helpful in boosting groundwater level too, he added.

Vedike treasurer Praveen Kumar said this programme is not only meant for the Devadiga community. He urged other associations to come forward and hold similar programmes to promote agriculture and also give renewed long leases for neglected paddy lands.

Seniors Shridhar Devadiga, Association vice president Jeevarathna Devadiga, Yuva Vedike president Karthik Kumar, ex municipal member Geetha Devadiga and others were present.