Agriculture polytechnics ushering in modern farming

Bukkarayasamudram (Anantapur): The five Agriculture Polytechnics in the district are proving to be a great boon to students opting for agriculture sector.

The five polytechnics are churning out many high-tech agriculturists every year. The students from agriculture background were being trained in modern methods of farming and being exposed to high-technology farming through exchange programmes and inter-district field visits.

The polytechnics are offering a two-year course in modern agriculture covering all aspects of disease and pest management, modern farming methods and mechanisation and organic farming.

The students go for field visits every week and study the crop patterns, irrigation facilities, in-depth study of soil conditions and disease management. Students are taught on subjects including crop production, plant protection, (pathology and entomology), agricultural engineering, agricultural economics & farm management, rural development & horticulture.

The five agriculture polytechnics include two in government sector at Reddipalle and Madakasira and the others in private sector. The two government polytechnics are funded by ATMA and by the department of agriculture. The department has given funds for establishing of a vermi-compost yards in the college premises.

Agriculture assistant director Vidhyavathi told The Hans India the colleges are located in a district which is predominantly agriculture and most backward in implementation of farm practices. The students are being trained in high-tech farming methods, water and soil conservation techniques and on alternative cropping patterns and practices.

Students are being exposed to vniversity agricultural farms, horticulture plantations and progressive farmers of horticulture farms. The diploma holders are being absorbed in various government and NGOs as technical assistants, agriculture extension officers and field supervisors.

Student visits to ANGR Agricultural University farms department of agriculture, horticulture farms and progressive farmers farms and national and international institutes including Agri Biotech Foundation, Southern Region Farm Machinery Research and Training Institute in the Tractornagar and ICRISAT, Patancheru, Hyderabad will enrich their knowledge.

The oldest polytechnics include the government polytechnic at Madakasira and Reddipalle Polytechnic. Besides two more agriculture polytechnics have come up in the private sector, the one established by Adarana Group and the other established by PVKK Educational Group of Puttaparthi MLA Palle Raghunath Reddy.

The new agriculture polytechnics are a result of a spurt in agriculture activity in the absence of jobs for the engineering graduates. Rural youth are now rethinking on their career and are rediscovering their roots.

An agriculture polytechnic student Ramana Reddy says that he had graduated from an engineering college but did not see job prospects in the present job scenario and thus joined the agriculture polytechnic at Madakasira to learn the art of agriculture and get back to farming to help his father who is trying to develop his 25 acres of land on a scientific basis.