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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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  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Training needs of farm women of Thrissur taluk in dairy and poultry farming
    (Department of Extension, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2004) Durga Rani, V; KAU; Subhadra, M R
    The objectives of the study were to analyse the profile of farm women, to assess the training needs and to identify the problems of farm women engaged in dairy and poultry fanning. The data were collected through personal interviews using pre-tested schedule from 120 respondents selected from two development blocks of Thrissur Taluk by multistage sampling. Majority of the farm women were middle aged, married, of medium income group, had long years of fanning experience with small sized herd and medium flock size but had not attended any training in dairy and poultry farming. Their innovation proneness, economic motivation, risk orientation and credit orientation were found to be medium. Nearly half of them were high school educated. Half of the farm women were engaged in house hold work as well as agriculture and allied activities. More than half of them had low level of social participation and extension agency contact but had medium information source utilization and marketing orientation. Out of the five major farm operations' studied in dairy farming, the farm women needed training the most in housing. The minor items preferred the most for knowledge need were proper design of cattle shed, selection of breeds, compounding balanced feed using locally available ingredients, vaccination and banking and insurance. As for skill need, construction of scientific low cost cattle shed, selection of breeds, compounding balanced feed using locally available ingredients, symptoms of common diseases and banking and insurance were preferred the most. In poultry farming, feeding and management was the most preferred major farm operation. The minor items preferred the most for both knowledge and skill training were proper design of poultry shed, selection of eggs for hatching, compounding balanced feed using locally available ingredients, vaccination and banking and insurance. In dairy farming, problems in health care was perceived as the most serious one. Under major farm operations, the most serious problems were inadequate knowledge about scientific housing, repeat breeding in crossbreds, high cost of concentrates, reduction in milk yield due to diseases and low price of milk and milk products. In poultry fanning, farm women perceived problems in feeding and management as the most serious one. Under major farm operations, the most serious problems were inadequate knowledge about low cost scientific cage construction, low hatchability of eggs in summer, problems of predators, losses due to bacterial and viral diseases and financial difficulties.