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The Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) budget 2019-20 has envisaged setting up a new agricultural college in Palakkad and a Centre of Excellence in Floriculture and Tropical Horticulture in Wayanad.
R Chandra Babu, Vice-Chancellor said that the Centre of Excellence is based on the outcome of Netherlands visit by the State Chief Minister. The Centre will provide technological back up for farmers, storage facility for their produces, transportation chains and marketing windows.
KAU will work hand in hand with LSGIs to ensure smooth implementation of agri-development projects and ensure convergence of funds for similar objectives under different heads.
The budget envisages strengthening of facilities at College of Agriculture, Ambalavayal in Wayanad and optimising network involving central library and libraries in different colleges through dedicated computer network.
Detailed scrutiny of the changes caused by flood in ecosystem and soil will be carried out and necessary interventions will be suggested. Priorities to popularise organic farming and provide technology back up for the same is another budget agenda. Remote Sensing, mechanisation, Hi-tech farming and horticultural therapy will also be encouraged. More research on value addition and export of fruits is also envisaged.
A unit of KAU will be established at Vengeri in Kozhikode, the only district without full-fledged centre of the university. A project under revolving fund mode for production of saplings of mango, jack fruit, pepper, coconut, and organic inputs will be implemented in different centres to enhance the internal revenue. The market prediction and price forecast mechanism to help farmers, special thrust on water weed control and agro-ecological studies form main research agenda. Farm business school and entrepreneurship facilitation centre will be established under Directorate of Extension to promote agri-business enterprises and value addition centres.
The successful paddy development programme implemented by Kannur KVK will be extended to other districts to enhance productivity and profitability. Schools will be supported with KAU farm clubs to guide students. Cultivation of nutritional millets in tribal hamlets will be promoted.
The budget shows a deficit of ₹46 crore with expenditure of ₹631.85 crore and receipt is ₹585.83 crore.
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