A hackathon centred around sustainable agricultural development will be part of the annual agri expo VAIGA (Value Addition for Income Generation in Agriculture) this year, with the forum being thrown open to students of classes 8 to 12 and college students as well as the public.
An official of the Department of Agriculture said registration for the farm hackathon would begin on January 21. The site will be officially opened by Minister for Agriculture V.S. Sunilkumar on the day. Those interested in joining the hackthon can register teams.
Registrations will end on January 31 and by February 3, participants will have to identify a problem and present a solution to it, based on which 20 teams each will be selected from each category. This will make up a total of 60 teams. They will then participate in the final round of the hackathon at VAIGA 2021 to be held in Thrissur between February 10 and 14.
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At the core of ‘Agri Hack’ is finding sustainable solutions, based on technology, for challenges facing agriculture in the State. Issues like drawing more young people to farming and agriculture management are among the topics expected to be addressed.
VAIGA has been an annual event over the past four years and is a platform on which current and emerging national and international trends, technology, product diversification, and machinery are brought together.
The fourth edition of VAIGA had for its theme ‘Sustainable Development through Agripreneurship’. The event had a host of programmes, including workshops and presentations, on solving problems and technology in agriculture.
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Winners will be given certificates and cash prizes. They will also be backed by incubation facilities and start-up support. Besides, winning ideas and solutions will be used by the Agriculture Department.