The benefits of research should be made available to farmers, Minister for Agriculture K.P. Mohanan has said.
He was inaugurating the year-long golden jubilee of the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, here on Wednesday.
Mr. Mohanan stressed on the need to provide the best of facilities for students studying in universities.
He said the organic farming initiatives of the State had attracted national attention. The Union government had decided to conduct a seminar in the State in December on how to take up organic farming. Agriculture Ministers of all States will take part in the seminar.
The university should make efforts to complete all projects in time, he said.
New facilities
The Minister also inaugurated a new pesticide residue analytical laboratory building, amphitheatre, and biotechnology laboratory.
He also laid the foundation stone for a diamond jubilee auditorium, alumni gate, new students’ hostel, and honey control lab.
Presiding over the function, Jameela Prakasam, MLA, stressed the need to upgrade hostel facilities for students on the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) campuses.
Farm tourism
KAU Vice Chancellor P. Rajendran, in his welcome address, proposed to explore the agri-tourism potential of the Vellayani campus. He called for the setting up of an international convention centre making the best of the natural beauty of the Vellayani lake, and sought help for taking up the project.
He said infrastructure development to the tune of Rs.98 crore had been taken up on various campuses of the university. “On the Vellayani campus, works already taken up and that are being inaugurated will total Rs.12 crore,” he said.
