Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has planned a programme to support farming operations in schools.
Inaugurating ‘Krishisree,’an agricultural orientation programme for higher secondary students to be implemented by the KAU, at a function at the Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy, on Tuesday, M.P. Vincent, MLA, said that a project named ‘Manusree’ would be implemented in Thrissur district in the first phase.
Initially 50 schools would be involved in the project. Twenty students and two teachers from each school would be trained in scientific agricultural operations for six days. Thus, 1,000 students and 100 teachers would be covered in the pilot phase.
The programme, aimed at promoting agriculture and driving home the importance of food safety and nutritional security, would be implemented throughout the State, he said. KAU Registrar P.V. Balachandran, in his presidential address, said the university had decided to conduct the orientation programme in order to attract youngsters towards agriculture and agricultural science.
“The greatest and noblest vocation is food production, without which no professional can survive. The number of people who died during Bengal famine was much greater than those killed in the world wars. Importance of food production should be realised by the youngsters,” he said.
U. Jaikumaran, Head, Agricultural Research Station, spoke. The Krishisree programme is being implemented in all research stations under the KAU.
Twenty students and two teachers from each school will be trained in scientific agricultural operations.
