BHUBANESWAR : The state government on Monday ratified the proposal of the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) for establishment of a College of Agriculture in Mayurbhanj district.
This will be the fourth agriculture college in the state under the administrative control of OUAT. The three other colleges are located in Bhubaneswar, Chiplima in Sambalpur district and Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district.
Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts under the north central plateau agro-climatic zone of the state have adequate potential for agriculture development through production of field crops, vegetables, fruits and forest spices, the OUAT proposal highlighted.
The university has proposed to set up the college in Bamanghati sub-division of Mayurbhanj district. “The Similipal Biosphere Reserve with abundance of bio-diversity provides ample opportunities for diversified agricultural research in the district.
The proposed college of agriculture will certainly benefit the district in terms of production of quality manpower in agriculture, technology upgradation suitable for local farmers and application of innovative agricultural technology generation in the field. It will help in reducing the regional imbalance and create an ecosystem for accelerated agricultural growth in the region,” OUAT officials said.
The college will have an annual intake of 120 students and offer courses in agronomy, agro-forestry, agricultural economics, entomology, genetics and plant breeding, horticulture, soil science and agriculture chemistry, microbiology and plant pathology.
The matter was discussed in a meeting chaired by deputy chief minister-cum-Agriculture minister KV Singh Deo here. The meeting also discussed upgradation of the College of Agriculture in Chiplima into an university as promised by the BJP in its election manifesto.
“We discussed several issues including opening of new colleges in veterinary science and animal husbandry, dairy technology, fisheries, agri-business management and emerging areas in agriculture and allied sectors,” Singh Deo said.
Recently, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi proposed creation of a College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, College of Dairy Technology, College of Fisheries, and College of Agri-Business Management in Sambalpur district.