Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

New doctoral, PG programmes at KAU

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Agricultural University will institute doctoral programmes in Veterinary Epidemiology, Preventive Medicine and Agricultural Economics and will offer 10 M.VSc. programmes from the College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Pookot. A Centre for Animal Biotechnology too will be set up here.

The KAU will start PG diploma courses in horticultural landscaping and bioinformatics from the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, and a diploma course in organic farming from the College of Agriculture, Vellayani.

These and other announcements were made in the budget for the University for the financial year 2008-09 presented at the General Council meeting of the KAU by member of the executive committee V. S. Hareendranath.

The budget expects an income of Rs.172.67 crore and an expenditure of Rs.181.25 crore. The University would get a non-plan grant of Rs. 67.37 crore and a plan grant of Rs.30.25 crore from the State government. The varsity would get Rs. 26.49 crores from the Indian Council for Agricultural Research for various research schemes. The university expects an internal resource mobilisation of Rs. 14.88 crores and expects Rs. 7.36 crores as grant from external funding agencies for various research schemes, a press note issued here quoted Mr. Hareendranath as saying.

A five-year integrated course in biotechnology would be instituted in the next financial year with assistance from biotechnology departments of other universities and from research institutes. The State government will give the KAU Rs.190 lakh for this. The varsity would also offer a diploma course in processing technology in the next financial year. In collaboration with the ISRO, CUSAT and the IMD, the University will set up a weather forecasting and warning centre at Thrissur aimed at providing farmers with timely weather forecasts.

‘Haritha Vidyalayam’ a project for popularising vegetable cultivation among school students would be implemented next year in schools in Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Thrissur. Under this project being implemented in collaboration with the Sarva Sikhsha Abhyan (SSA) vegetables, fruits and medicinal plants would be planted in schools.

Mr. Hareendranath announced the setting up of a water management training centre at the Agronomic Research Station at Chalakudy; this centre will function as a teaching-cum-demonstration unit.

Hundred experts and 1000 farmers would be trained each year on effective water management practises. The ICAR will give the KAU Rs.1.27 crores for this.

A post-harvest technology development centre will be established for training farmers and entrepreneurs in processing of fruits and vegetables and for giving technical advice for setting up micro-processing units.

The University will implement an intensive paddy development project for doubling paddy production in the State and for reducing the cost of paddy cultivation. The varsity has earmarked Rs.127 lakh for paddy research schemes next year. The University will get Rs. 9 crore under the National Agricultural Innovation Project for implementing various income generating schemes for farmers in Wayanad district. Special projects for developing dwarf hybrid coconut varieties and for processing coconut water would be implemented. The KAU will spend Rs.40 lakh for coconut research programmes in the next financial year, the press note said.

An ICAR-funded high-tech buffalo project would be set up next year with an outlay of Rs.10 crore. The Council would also give Rs. 70 lakh for a scheme to distribute more Vechur cows among farmers. The varsity will set up an Organic Farming Research and Certification Centre.

As part of its efforts to improve technology transfer programmes the KAU will establish a mega seed distribution centre at Vellanikkara for Rs.50 lakh with facilities for online booking of planting materials. A Waste Management Research Centre too would be established for providing training for scientific disposal of waste in urban areas. A research centre for cultivation of banana and vegetables would be set up at Neyyattinkara.

The KAU will set up a rapid action force to advise farmers on pest and disease attacks. A agricultural polytechnic will be set up to impart training in farm machines. A Rs.75-lakh animal polytechnic will be se up for speedy diagnosis of animal diseases.

An entrepreneurship development centre will be set up at Ambalavayal to benefit the tribal population.

Distance learning programmes in agriculture and allied subjects would also be set up, the press note added.

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