College of Agriculture students kick off week-long rural awareness programme

Agri-clinics, interactive sessions with farmers and kitchen garden development drives are among the highlights of a week-long rural awareness programme kicked off by the final-year undergraduate students of the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, in the Kattakkada grama panchayat on Wednesday.

Titled ‘Gramodaya 2025,’ the programme is designed to to explore local farming practices, understand the challenges faced by farmers, and suggest practical solutions based on both traditional knowledge and modern agricultural science, the students said.

Organised by the college’s Department of Agricultural Extension in collaboration with the Kattakada grama panchayat and the Krishi Bhavan, ‘Gramodaya 2025’ kicked off on Wednesday with an awareness rally from Amachal to Plavoor. The event, which will be on till May 7, will be formally inaugurated by I.B. Satheesh MLA on Friday (May 2).

The programme will feature agricultural seminars, agri-clinics, training and interactive sessions with farmers and local representatives, kitchen garden development drives, agricultural exhibitions and cookery competitions.

On Saturday (May 3), agri-clinics will be held in eight wards, followed by a training session on mushroom cultivation and a soil testing session at Kollode ward.

By integrating indigenous knowledge with modern agricultural technologies, Gramodaya seeks to develop a sustainable and comprehensive agricultural development plan, the students said in a statement. “This participatory model, involving farmers, elected representatives, and officials, aims to serve as a roadmap for future agricultural initiatives in the region, paving the way for a more resilient and self-reliant farming community,” they said.

Seminars on poultry farming and indigenous farming knowledge and a kitchen garden construction workshop will be held on May 5. The students will conduct agricultural seminars and competitions for farmers on May 6.

Agriculture Minister P. Prasad will inaugurate the valedictory session on May 7. The final day of the programme will also feature an agricultural produce expo and market fair, showcasing farm products, traditional performances by farmers and local artists, cookery contests by Kudumbashree members and awareness programmes against substance abuse.