How does rice, our staple diet, reach our plate?
This question may seem absurd to many, but not many urban children know the answer. Perhaps, they just haven’t had the opportunity to see paddy growing in the fields, its harvest and its journey to the mill. The University of Agricultural Sciences-Bangalore’s Alumni Association has decided to rectify this by launching an agri eco-tourism project from June to help urban children understand the rudiments of agriculture, especially the main food crops, and also give them an exposure to rural life.
Under this initiative, students of classes 5 to 7 in urban areas like Bengaluru would be taken to fields of innovative farmers on a day-long trip. Retired experts from the UAS-B would accompany them and open up a window to rural life, animal husbandry and poultry. The on-field demonstration would also cover various food and vegetable crops.
“The main intention is to create a sense of pride among them through this process of the farmer who grows their food,” UAS-B Alumni Association president and former Vice-Chancellor K. Narayana Gowda said. According to him, instilling respect among future citizens about farmers would go a long way in encouraging them to continue with agriculture. This is also an attempt to bridge the urban-rural divide by helping children understand the rural lifestyle.
The association has formed a technical committee to suggest methods of implementation of its initiative, including safety measures, he said. To begin with, the project will be launched in Bengaluru and will expand to other urban centres in a phased manner. The idea is to take 50 children at a time to a farm. The association is thinking of collecting a nominal amount from students so that a fee of about Rs. 2,500 per batch could be paid to the farmer. This would serve as additional income for farmers, he said.
Bengaluru schools can register with Secretary, Alumni Association, UAS-B campus, Hebbal, Bengaluru-24. Ph. 080-23410754; email:alumniuasb83 @gmail.com
