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Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur

The history of agricultural education in Kerala can be traced back to the year 1896 when a scheme was evolved in the erstwhile Travancore State to train a few young men in scientific agriculture at the Demonstration Farm, Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, presently, the Cropping Systems Research Centre under Kerala Agricultural University. Agriculture was introduced as an optional subject in the middle school classes in the State in 1922 when an Agricultural Middle School was started at Aluva, Ernakulam District. The popularity and usefulness of this school led to the starting of similar institutions at Kottarakkara and Konni in 1928 and 1931 respectively. Agriculture was later introduced as an optional subject for Intermediate Course in 1953. In 1955, the erstwhile Government of Travancore-Cochin started the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Mannuthy, Thrissur for imparting higher education in agricultural and veterinary sciences, respectively. These institutions were brought under the direct administrative control of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Animal Husbandry, respectively. With the formation of Kerala State in 1956, these two colleges were affiliated to the University of Kerala. The post-graduate programmes leading to M.Sc. (Ag), M.V.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees were started in 1961, 1962 and 1965 respectively. On the recommendation of the Second National Education Commission (1964-66) headed by Dr. D.S. Kothari, the then Chairman of the University Grants Commission, one Agricultural University in each State was established. The State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) were established in India as an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System to give the much needed impetus to Agriculture Education and Research in the Country. As a result the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) was established on 24th February 1971 by virtue of the Act 33 of 1971 and started functioning on 1st February 1972. The Kerala Agricultural University is the 15th in the series of the SAUs. In accordance with the provisions of KAU Act of 1971, the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, were brought under the Kerala Agricultural University. In addition, twenty one agricultural and animal husbandry research stations were also transferred to the KAU for taking up research and extension programmes on various crops, animals, birds, etc. During 2011, Kerala Agricultural University was trifurcated into Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). Now the University has seven colleges (four Agriculture, one Agricultural Engineering, one Forestry, one Co-operation Banking & Management), six RARSs, seven KVKs, 15 Research Stations and 16 Research and Extension Units under the faculties of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Forestry. In addition, one Academy on Climate Change Adaptation and one Institute of Agricultural Technology offering M.Sc. (Integrated) Climate Change Adaptation and Diploma in Agricultural Sciences respectively are also functioning in Kerala Agricultural University.

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19871
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Subject: Agricultural Economics × Author: KAU × Author: Rajasekharan, P × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Study on marketing margins and market structure of cashew nut in Kerala
    (Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1987) Rajasekharan, P; KAU; Radhakrishnan, V
    A study on marketing margins and Market Structure of Cashewnut in Kerala was conducted during 1985-’86 season and the main objectives were to analyse the present marketing costs and margins, to evaluate efficiency of transportation, storage, processing and to anlyse the likely impact of changes in marketing organization and structure on pricing efficiency. Two panchayats viz. Enmaje and Kottiyoor from Cannanore district and one panchayat viz. Karupra from Quilon district were selected for the study. Three wards from each panchayath and eight farmers from each ward and altogether 72 farmers were selected randomly. From the selected wards a sample of various intermediaries and few wholesalers from the nearest place were interviewed. Harvesting and marketing season for cashewnuts started by February and continued till May. The farmers in Enmakaje and Karupra panchayats harvested natured nuts and the farmers in Kottiyoor panchayat collected the fallen nuts. The various market functionaries involved in cashewnut marketing were the village merchants, petty traders, itinerant traders, semi-wholesalers, wholesalers and processors. Five marketing channels were identified in Enmakaje panchayat and the first channel viz. Producer-Village merchant-wholesaler-processor was found to be the main channel in moving rawnuts in the panchayat. Ninety two per cent of the farmers sold 72 per cent of the total quantity to buyers within the village and only 8 per cent sold outside the village. The sales of different types of traders to the wholesalers showed that 72.71 per cent of village merchants sold 86.81 per cent of nuts to the wholesalers which indicated a high degree of concentration in the volume of rawnuts purchased. Two marketing channels were identified in Kottiyoor panchayat and the first channel viz. producer- Village merchant- wholesaler – processor was identified as the main channel and eighty seven per cent of farmers sold their produce to the village merchant which constituted 74.31 per cent of total sales of sample. Three marketing channels were identified in Karupra panchayat and the first channel viz. Producer – Village merchant – Wholesaler – Processor was observed to be the main channel in moving nuts and 83.33 per cent of farmers sold 86.68 per cent nuts to village merchants. The market structure indicated large number of buyers at the farmer level, and a possibility of competition among the buyers was identified. Marketing costs of farmers and different agencies were worked out in three panchayats. Drying charges formed the major item of cost for the farmers in Enmakaje and Karupra and cost of transport formed the major cost item of farmers in Kottiyoor panchayat. Cost of transport, loading/unloading and cost of packing material formed the major cost item of various intermediaries in the three panchayats. The cost incurred by the processors were estimated on the basis of information obtained from sample factories in Quilon district and worked out to Rs.337.80 per quintal of rawnuts. Wages formed the major share of processor’s cost which constituted 27.71 per cent of the cost. Total recovery of kernels was estimated as 26.79 per cent and the returns from by-products such as cashewnut shell liquid, shell and skin were computed to Rs. 64.83 per quintal of nuts. Marketing margins were worked out from the stage of farmer sale of nuts to the stage of wholesale of kernels based on the New York market price using a variant of concurrent margin. The processors reaped very high profits of Rs. 356.86 (18.17 per cent of total realization), Rs.373.01 (18.37 per cent) and Rs.522.01 (25.71 per cent) per quintal of nuts in Enmakaje, Kottiyoor and Karupra panchayats, respectively. Marketing margins computed through concurrent margin showed exorbitant profit for the processors and the net margins of processors worked out through lagged margin method by taking into account driage and interest on inventory holding from April to November corresponding to processing period of rawnuts also were in consonance with that of results of concurrent margin method. Net margin of processors through lagged margin method varied from Rs.232.39 to Rs.819.32 (12.47 to 33.43 per cent of total realization) Rs.182.46 to Rs.769.39 (9.79 to 31.40 per cent) and Rs.335.67 to Rs.922.60 (18.01 to 37.65 per cent) per quintal of nuts in Enmakaje, Kottiyoor and Karupra panchayats, respectively from April to November 1986. High margins are a symptom of inefficiency.