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Bengaluru: Arecanuts have been a very significant crop for traditional growers for ages, especially in regions like Sagar in Shivamogga district and adjoining Coastal and Malnad areas in the state of Karnataka. Earlier the farmers' economic condition is also solely dependent on the fluctuating prices of the commercial crop. Arecanut prices collapsed to rock bottom in 1971-72: However, according to Mattikoppa Haranaath Rao, a cherished and well-respected tall personality of Sagar recalls-"The price of Arecanut suddenly dipped from Rs 600/- per quintal to Rs 200/- during 1971-72 and thereby leading to a panic situation. The total fall of Arecanut prices led to an adverse situation to such an extent that even leading a normal life became too difficult. For us crops meant only Arecanut plantations and almost all of them were small and marginal cultivators with land holdings extending from 1-2-3 acres to five acres at the most ... ...LT Thimmappa Hegade shows the way: We were in...

Bengaluru: Bandagadde is a small village about 10 kilometres from the Sagar Taluk headquarters of Shivamogga district in the Malnad region of Karnataka. In the early Ninety decade of the previous century, the village lacked proper infrastructure and hardly had any public modes of communication. Umesh B R, proprietor of Mathana Home Industries (Agriculture and Domestic Machinery) hails from this village. For various reasons, he couldn't pursue a career in education and as he admits, maybe he was not keen on formal education. However, such a background was no hindrance for Umesh B R to develop into an entrepreneur and make a big name for himself. Despite having no formal educational background to boast of, a peculiar thought haunted him: to be self-reliant. Helping the villages with daily requirements: The nearby 5-6 villages around Bandagadde were also equally backwards regarding civic amenities. People living in them had daily requirements with things like tea powder, coffee powde...