Fund-starved KAU gets Rs 100-crore booster

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Rs 100 crore grant for intensifying the agriculture research is the biggest gain that the agriculture sector of Kerala has accomplished from the Union Budget. Kerala Agriculture University, like several other Universities in the country, was starving for funds.However, the grant should be utilised for streamlining the result-oriented researches and on no account it must be utilised for unproductive purposes.Unlike the present system of research concentrating on the works of the post graduate students, the University should initiate research programmes with specific objectives so that farmers will be the beneficiary of the results produced.If we want to derive more advantages from this budget, the state has to do a lot of homework. Because, the new mission approaches - National Food Security Mission, National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture including Micro Irrigation, National Mission on Oil seeds and Oil Palm and National Mission on Agriculture Extension and Technology -  envisaged in the budget compel us to come forward with specific result oriented projects so that we will be able to absorb more money from the allotments. What is happening at present is an intensive effort for accomplishing the financial targets totally ignoring the physical achievements reflected in the field.  There must be a monitoring mechanism along with concurrent auditing. So also, state should have a plan to streamline the flow of agriculture credit. Providing more credit to the farmers should be linked with the performance.The agricultural extension system in which government supposed to introduce a mission mode is a need of the hour. At present, the extension system is concentrating in the works related to distribution of subsidies and natural calamity doles. This must be changed so that the extension system will concentrate on the technology transfer exercise.But, the most disappointing factor is poor consideration extended to the welfare of the farming community. No attempt has been made to make farming more charming to the younger generation to take it as a challenging enterprise. The much expected welfare schemes for farmers like insurance has once again failed to make it into the budget.