Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that the government will take all possible steps to promote development of the Kerala Agricultural University ( KAU).
Inaugurating various infrastructure facilities at the KAU main campus, the Chief Minister said that KAU’s academic excellence and research achievements are a matter of pride for the State.
“This university has attracted national appreciation for academic excellence for five consecutive years and made significant contributions for the development of agricultural and allied sectors. The government will explore all possible avenues to solve the issues hampering its growth. We will resolve the financial liability issue and dearth of human resources in a time-bound manner, he said.
Agricultural Minister K.P. Mohanan, in his presidential address said that Kerala’s organic farming policy is fast becoming a national model. The Union government has endorsed it as a replicable model and more and more States are joining the fold. The KAU has a very important role to play in organic farming, he said.
KAU Vice-Chancellor Dr. P. Rajendran in his welcome address said that the infrastructural facilities worth Rs. 97 crore have been developed in various campuses of the university during the past four years.
“While buildings like academic block for Academy of Climate Change and Research and PG Hostel enhance student amenities, Hitech Horticulture centre, Radio Tracer Lab, Virus indexing lab and Seed technology unit will aid advanced research and farmer support activities. The central technology museum will exhibit agriculture technologies, new and old and hence will serve as a knowledge centre for farmers. We have also initiated steps to establish new pesticide residue analysis labs at Thrissur and Kasaragod,” he said
Government Chief Whip Thomas Unniyadan, C.N. Jayadevan, MP, MLAs M.P.Vincent and P.A Madhavan, and others participated.
