Latest news with #UniversityofAgriculturalSciences-Bengaluru
Hindustan Times
05-08-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Investing in food, agricultural infrastructure should be national priority: Agri varsity VC
Bengaluru, Investing in food and agricultural infrastructure should be a national priority to reduce waste and boost supply, said University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru Vice Chancellor S V Suresha here on Tuesday. Investing in food, agricultural infrastructure should be national priority: Agri varsity VC He was speaking at the CII Karnataka Food Processing & Agri Conclave 2025. The conclave brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss the future of the state's agriculture and food processing sectors. "A call to action is needed to reduce food waste, enhance value addition, and build a more resilient food supply chain," Suresha said while speaking at CII Karnataka Agri & Food Processing Panel. According to him, the next two years are crucial for strategic interventions. "India currently loses one-third of its food grains due to inadequate processing, with only two-thirds being integrated into formal channels," he added. He said the university is holding outreach programmes and collaborations to empower farmers and advance agricultural technology. Karnataka Watershed Department Director M H Banthanal discussed the crucial role of integrated watershed development in fostering sustainable agriculture and empowering rural communities across Karnataka. "The department is leveraging technology like remote sensing and GIS to monitor outcomes, and has successful case studies that have resulted in improved groundwater levels and increased agricultural incomes," he added. Tanay Joshi, Director, Agriculture and Livelihoods Social Sector, at Ernst & Young LLP, said India stands at a pivotal moment in the global food processing landscape. "Despite being the second-largest producer of food grains, fruits, and vegetables, India processes 10 per cent of its agricultural yield," he said. According to him, supportive government policies, a young population, and digital growth are key drivers. Rabindra Srikantan, Chairman, CII Karnataka State Council shared details on CII's FACE . He said FACE has been doing commendable work nationally by promoting food safety, traceability, agri-tech adoption, and building capacity across the value chain. ASM Technologies Ltd managing director Srikantan said, "We are also working closely with various departments to bring FACE's resources and frameworks to Karnataka in a more direct and impactful way." The panel was attended by over 100 participants from across the industry. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
UAS-B set to give push to urban gardening in Bengaluru through training and consultation
As part of efforts to increase green spaces in Bengaluru and encourage people to grow their own vegetables in whatever limited spaces they have, the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru (UAS-B) has embarked upon an initiative to promote urban gardening/horticulture. While the university has launched a paid short-term course in urban gardening, it is also planning to offer consultancy services in the coming days based on availability of space and specific requirement of house owners. Twofold benefit 'We want to encourage residents to grow their own vegetables. Experts in the university will help them understand how a family of three to four people can ensure regular availability of vegetables. Also, we want residents to convert their wet waste into compost. This will reduce the burden of civic authorities in handling waste and keeping the city clean,' says UAS-B Vice-Chancellor S.V. Suresha. Pointing out that unmaintained empty plots have become a problem for the neighbourhood owing to the growth of bushes and dumping of garbage, he said: 'With the consent of plot owners, the neighbourhood can use that space for growing vegetables'. He added: 'We also want children in urban families to get first-hand exposure to growing plants. It is a matter of concern that several urban children have no practical idea about plants or cultivation, but for reading them in lessons.' The two-day course will provide orientation to participants on general aspects of urban gardening, vertical gardening, indoor plants, composting, pot mixture to be prepared, and handling of plant diseases/pests, he noted. Kit to be provided The university would also provide a kit with culture material for composting, red earth and pots to those who undergo short-term course, if they wish to buy them. He said even those with limited open spaces like apartments could practise urban gardening. There are several varieties of indoor plants that could be cultivated within the house too, he pointed out. In the course of time, the university wants to design specific models of urban gardening through consultation for people depending upon their space availability. The models would include vertical gardening structures and hydroponics, he explained. Workshop for architects However, in several cases, terrace farming would have limitations due to various constraints related to construction as lack of waterproofing measures may lead to seepage, the Vice-Chancellor pointed out. In this context, the university has decided to start holding workshops for architects to provide them orientation on the pre-requirements with respect to construction of the building to facilitate terrace/urban gardening, he said. Meanwhile, the two-day workshop on urban gardening for which ₹2,000 is being charged per person is being held from Friday for which already the participants have been chosen. The plan is to hold such workshops once in every month. The annual krishi mela (agricultural fair) of the UAS-B is not just popular among farmers, but also among urban dwellers. As a large number of urban residents too started visiting these melas, the university started introducing urban gardening concepts at the mela and is now trying to promote it further.
