The State government has initiated the process of setting up an agroforestry research station on 100 acres of land at Madapura in Kodagu district under a project of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Announcing this while replying to BJP member Appachu Ranjan during the question hour in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences had made a proposal to the government to set up the research station under the Agroforestry Research Project of the ICAR.
Following this, the Agriculture Department had written to the Horticulture Department to provide 100 acres from its 300-acre land at Madapura, he said.
In a bid to fight staff shortage in the Horticulture Department, the government had decided to appoint 500 assistant horticultural officers and 1,000 garden assistants in the present financial year.
Announcing this while replying to Janata Dal (S) member Suresh Babu during the question hour, Mr. Gowda said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had given clearance for going ahead with such recruitments during a recent review of the progress of the Horticulture Department.
