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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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Subject: Horticulture × Author: Abdul Rasheed, A × Author: KAU × End date: 1996 × Start date: 1994 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Marketing of rubber by small growers in Nedumangad taluk
    (Department of Plantation Crops and Spices, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1996) Abdul Rasheed, A; KAU; Nybe, E V
    The study “Marketing of rubber by small growers in Nedumangad taluk” revealed that a major portion of the sheet rubber produced by the small holders is of inferior quality. It is a fact of differential pricing based on quality of sheets is not in vogue in the locality where the study was conducted . For the production of better quality grades , the existing facilities for processing as well as infrastructure should be further developed.With regard to the system of tapping adopted , it was observed that majority of the growers adopted daily tapping and not bothered about the ill effects due to daily extraction . Albeit, the beneficial effects of scientific processing of sheet rubber is well established , it is paradoxical to note that majority of the farmers are not aware/following scientific aspects of processing like use of correct concentration of acid , sodium bi sulphate, paranitrophenol, sieving, smoking etc. for the production of sheet. The reason for this anomaly is clearly understood that there is no marked variation in prices of quality and ungraded sheet rubber. However, an interesting factor to be noted in this aspect is that the difference between the farmgate price and terminal market price is negligible as the producers received more than 80 percent of the price paid by the consumer It was also found that planters are opportunistic in the sense, very often they switch over from sheet rubber production to sale of latex as such and vice versa depending up on the prevailing market conditions. Regarding the mode of disposal, periodicity and marketing certain peculiarities were revealed during the study. The frequency of sales varied from monthly to yearly. In the case of small holders(up to 1.00 ha ) majority of them have sold their crop monthly because they were in need of money frequently ; and farmers who are financially sound resort to year wise sales for their seasonal capital expenditure . It was a general trend that the farmers who are having estates far away from residences sold their produce as latex. It was also revealed that the common farmers are unaware of the technique of calculating DRC which led to the deception of the farmers by the dealers causing heavy loss to the growers. It was also found that the primary dealers sell their produce to the secondary dealers as lot of rubber and secondary dealers sort out the lot rubber in to different grades gaining much profit out of it . As a remedial measures for improving the quality of processed rubber, long term policies should be taken to start central processing factories to produce quality rubber sheets or technically specified form of crumb/block rubber from latex collected from small rubber growers. The dealers chain can therefore be by passed and the financial benefit of small holders increased . It is a suggestion that the long term measures can be undertaken by the present Rubber producers Societies scattered throughout the taluk. The latex/scrap collected by the RPS’s can be processed into technically specified form of quality rubber or block rubber, as the case may be , in the factory owned by the apex society/ company of the Rubber Producers Societies. The Rubber Board has drawn up a scheme for assisting RPS’ s to set up smoke house . These smoke house will procure latex from the member growers, process it in to higher grades of sheet rubber and sell it in bulk to secure maximum prices . The Rubber Board provides all help and assistance in these efforts . The main trust is in strengthening of RPS’s. The Board operate a scheme for giving subsidy for the construction of smoke houses. The RPS at the grassroot level is the foundation on which this view marketing set-up is being built. Its success, therefore, depends on the active participation , patronage and involvement of the R P S’s . If this is successfully accomplished, no doubt it will usher in an era of prosperity to the small farmers.