Former Minister Kagodu Thimmappa has said the Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (KSNUAHS) at Iruvakki in Sagar taluk should grow as an institute for farmers, not just students.
He spoke at the programme organised to mark the 11th foundation day of the university on its campus at Iruvakki on Thursday. “The university should involve farmers in its activities. It should conduct workshops to spread awareness about cultivating crops, considering the features of soil and ways to increase yield. At least 50 people in each gram panchayat should be trained by the university. Then it becomes a farmers’ university. As a result, the farming community will also have a role in the university’s research and expansion activities,” he said.
The former Minister, who was instrumental in setting up the university at Iruvakki, said it would be beneficial for the local farmers if all the teaching and non-teaching faculty of the university stayed on campus. “The university requires quarters facilities. I will appeal to the Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister for providing funds sufficient to build quarters for the staff on the campus,” he said.
Doddagouda Patil, a progressive farmer from Sorab, said the university had the greater responsibility of guiding the farming community, which had lost hope of a good yield because of the drought. The researchers should guide the growers of plantation crops in combating the spread of diseases, he said.
Dr. R.C. Jagadeesha, Vice Chancellor of the university, and others were present at the programme.
