RURAL AGRICULTURAL WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAMME ORGANISED BY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, GKVK, UAS, BANGALORE
The final-year students of B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture, B.Sc. (Hons.) Agribusiness Management and B.Tech. (Agricultural Engineering students of the College of Agriculture, GKVK have undergone the Rural Agricultural Work Experience Programme from 13.10.2023 to 10.1.2024 in Bengaluru Rural and Chikkaballapura Districts of Karnataka State. Around 25 students were placed in 17 identified villages where in they have collected the detailed information about the contact farmers through interview schedule and Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques. Based on that they have identified the problems like lack of awareness on latest varieties and technologies, unsustainable soil fertility levels, lack of animal health management, lack of integrated pest and disease management, lack of market management, etc. among the farmers. To address these they have established the crop museums demonstrating over 50 varieties and technologies, Agricultural information Centre consisting over 200 charts and models on agricultural technologies and conducted over 500 night meetings in which lectures, demonstrations, group discussions were organized. Animal Health Campaigns were organized in all the villages sensitizing the farmers on the Foot and Mouth Diseases, regular deworming, vaccination and infertility issues of dairy animals were addressed. Students also celebrated the World Soil Day by providing soil health cards and organizing soil science competitions for school children of various grades. Bakery and Value addition trainings were organized in five villages involving more than 200 rural women. Finally the students organized a rural krishimela and agricultural exhibition in collaboration with Panchayat raj institutions, development and baking agencies in all 17 villages in which around 5000 farmers participated and appreciated the students’ efforts to learn and involvement in transfer of agricultural technologies.
