Thursday 1 March 2012

Project Bio Harvest Launched

Giving another big leap to Clean and Green City project, a new initiative for the promotion of organic farming - 'Bio Harvest' launched. Vice-Chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University K.R. Viswambharan has said the State should promote farming in a big way and attain self-sufficiency in agriculture production.

Dr. Viswambharan was inaugurating ‘Bio-harvest' project launched by Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies, Thiruvalla (Macfast), in association with Thiruvalla Agri-Horticulture Society. Setting up vegetable garden in every household should be encouraged as Kerala was heavily dependent on other States for its daily vegetable requirement, he said.

Bio Harvest envisages attracting local populace to sustainable practices in agriculture sector. Giving utmost importance for continuous awareness and training through radio, project aims to concentrate on student community to develop interest among them by organizing cluster farming. The same will be open to the common community and training will be imparted through radio. Bio harvest will provide necessary training, seeds, expert advice for the participants and best performers will be rewarded.

A Bio Harvest Club constitutes 30 students in MGM School  already started Homestead vegetable farming under this project. They have given training under the leadership of  Rincy Abraham of Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Thelliyoor. Additionally, a Bio Harvest kit includes seeds, organic pesticides, manual and related tools  for organic farming distributed to the members. 

George Thomas, MGM School Headmasater presided. Pradeep Vazhatharamalayil, college Prinicplal distributed kits. Projects envisions actualization of the concept wealth from waste. The organic manures prepared from wastes can be used in a big way through homestead farming. This initiative gives a sharp message to the community to dispose waste at the source itself. He said. Waste disposal mechanism was installed in schools as part of the Green School Project.  Rincy Abraham of Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Thelliyoor took a class on bio-farming. Aji George, Bio Harvest Coordinator, Shaji Tiruvalla Councilor, Salim AHCS President spoke. 

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 Project Plan
Students, schools and common populace are the targeted audience for the project Bio Harvest. This multiple stage project envisages giving utmost importance for the student community. A Bio Harvest club will be constituted in every school for interested students. Responsibility of the club includes selecting, promoting and monitoring organic farming practices in schools and houses. A Coordinator from teachers and Secretary from students would be selected who will be the leading force of the club. Proposed strength of the club is 30 students. The program consists of awareness, training and field visits.
A training program will be given for selected students of Bio Harvest club. Additionally, a Bio Harvest kit includes seeds, hand book, bio fertilizer, Green Dairy, T- Shirt and Cap will be supplied to all the members. Students can enter updates/progress, important dates, fertilizer calendar etc. in their green dairy. Monitoring, evaluation and awarding will be done by an external expert committee. Second level programs in schools will be under the leadership of Bio Harvest club members. Stage three programs for common community will follow the same pattern. Radio will be the chief medium for disseminating information/training for common community. Along with these, participants can share their experience in organic farming through Radio.  

Participants

Bio Harvest-  Expected Number of Participants
Students
550(24x25)
Schools
25
Local Community
100
Total
650


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