Those of you who have tried your hands at gardening would know what it means to discover the first buds in a plant. Farming may not be the hippest career option anymore, but the thrills of farming are aplenty.
Celebrating farming
The students who attended the first Children's Agricultural Science Congress held here recently celebrated the progressive trends and traditions of this age-old practice of mankind. As many as 250 students from across the state participated in the two day programme aimed at promoting the values of eco-friendly agriculture among the younger generation.
Jointly organised by Indian Agriculture Association, Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA) and Agri Friends Forum the Children's Agricultural Science Congress was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran. In a symbolic ritual at the inaugural function, the Agriculture Minister scribbled a message on eco-friendly farming on a white umbrella to signify its universal significance. Participants of the Congress also signed messages on it.
The programme included events like research paper presentation, model school farm project, local agriculture practices, photo presentation competition, poster competition and farming tools exhibition. Ahead of the programme, the organisers also conducted school level campaigns to promote the theme of eco-friendly farming among students.
“The papers presented by students primarily dealt with the agricultural issues and farming in the local area of the students. So, as part of preparing these papers they interacted with farmers and visited farms in their locality. We also organised interaction with award-winning farmers, agriculture entrepreneurs and activists during the course of the Congress,” said S. Jayakumar of Agri Friends Samskarika Vedi.
The students also presented papers on farm surveys and mini agriculture experiments conducted by them.
Winners
Government UPS, Nemom, bagged the first prize in the junior section of the paper presentation competition. The team from Wayanad, Pulpalli, Nirmala High School, which made a presentations on apiculture, emerged winners in the senior category.
SN UPS Kollayil and LF HS, Anthiyoorkonam, bagged the first and second positions in the photo competition. The overall championship at the first Children's Agricultural Science Congress was bagged by Government HSS, Vazhakkad, Malappuram. Sports and Youth Affairs Minister M. Vijayakumar handed over trophies to the winners at the concluding ceremony, where the theme for the second Children's Agricultural Science Congress, organic farming, was announced.
