Inculcating agricultural skills in younger generations

May 13, 2015 10:09 pm | Updated June 27, 2015 04:07 pm IST

The best school is awarded a cash price of Rs. 5000 and a rolling trophy and citation.

The best school is awarded a cash price of Rs. 5000 and a rolling trophy and citation.

An ambitious programme called Mukulam from CARD-Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Pathanamthitta district has been inaugurated as an educational tool to create awareness among school children to grow crops in their school gardens as a supplemental instruction to their regular studies.

The programme, launched in the year 2010, aims to provide a platform for students for showcasing their talents in nurturing nature and building awareness of their role in contributing to the nation's food security.

Last two years Upper primary, high school and higher secondary levels that have eco-clubs functioning for the last two years with 25-30 members each and 5-10 cents of cultivable land formed the part of the programme. The best school is awarded a cash price of Rs. 5000 and a rolling trophy and citation.

“It was conceived mainly to create awareness among school children about need for promotion of biodiversity conservation and food security. It provides an atmosphere that includes hands-on activities and strengthens academic, personal, and social skills,” says Dr. C.P.Robert, Programme Coordinator at the institute.

The institute organised a variety of programmes such as seminars, students meet, quiz competition, drawing cum painting competitions and traditional food fest.

It also supported the participating schools with technology training, planting materials, seeds, organic inputs and garden tools, so that school clubs put in their effort to develop a garden in five cents of land.

“In this five-year journey through Mukulam, we could instil a culture of safe farming among more than 10,000 families through 1,500 school children from 46 schools, who participated in this programme. The schools' eco clubs demonstrated their commitment towards the cause by working in the school garden even on holidays,” explains Dr. Sindhu Sadanandan, specialist at the Kendra in charge of the project.

Garden maintanence Besides participating in every activity, the school gardeners cultivated a variety of vegetables, fruit crops and medicinal garden — all grown organically. Club members in relay maintained the garden and attended to the plants in a scheduled manner before and after school hours.

The programme instilled a sense of responsibility in the younger generation to conserve nature and contribute to food security.

“Participating schools on an average harvested over 500 kg of vegetables, part of which was shared for school mid-day meal purpose. Besides this, the clubs also earned Rs.10,000 from the sales of vegetables each year contributing to a turnover of Rs. 4,60,000 in these five years, which added colour to the programme called earn while learning,” says Ms. Sadanandan.

Eco safe programme Seeing the success of the programme, the institute introduced eco-safe sustainable vegetable production through ultra density portable rain shelter in the schools in 2014.

“Portable rain shelter with drip irrigation system for ultra density vegetable cultivation in the schools proved to be unique for growing safe vegetables from a limited area round the year,” says Ms. S. Leelamma, Headmistress of N.S.S English Medium School which bagged the first prize and won the rolling green trophy this year.

According to Mr. V. Sreejith, a teacher, “the programme is unique and inspired the children to understand need for growing healthy food without chemicals.”

The programme is one of its kind with a focus on school children to enable them to acquire skill and knowledge in agriculture.

Made aware “Programmes like this can be conducted across the several hundreds of schools across the country. Students should be made aware about the importance of agriculture and from where they get their food. If we fail in this most important task, then future of agriculture and food security is a bog question,” says Dr. Robert.

For more information please contact Dr. Sindhu Sadanandan on mobile: 09946090961, email: sindhu@kvkcard.org, CARD-Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Pathanamthitta District, (Farm Science Centre, Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR), Kolabhagam P.O., Tiruvalla (Via),Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, phone: 0469 2662094 and 266182, Extn-11/12, website: >www.kvkcard.org

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