College students learn nuances of paddy cultivation

To provide hands-on experience in paddy cultivation for students, Kittel Memorial Pre-university College, Gorigudda, has taken up paddy cultivation on a plot spread over an acre at Baarde near Ambika Road on the outskirts of the city.

Speaking to DH, College Principal Vittala A said the initiative is a part of ‘Besayada Besuge’ (Tryst with farming) for the students in the college. Through agricultural activities, the students are able to pick up nuances of farming. “Around 50 students from the college were part of transplanting paddy seedlings on one acre paddy field four months ago. Around 10 students on Tuesday harvested the paddy,” he added.

The paddy will be given for an ashram. “We just want the students to have an experience in paddy cultivation. Farming education definitely makes them understand the difficulties in agriculture and marketing produce,” he said.

The principal said that the paddy field is watered by the locals from the water body that flows nearby.

The college has taken up a tree planting drive to convert the CSI cemetery in Gorigudda into a green patch with the help of Jeeth Milan Roche.

Through the programme, the students not only get practical knowledge but are also involved in something meaningful. The drive to plant saplings also received support from the Dakshina Kannada Photographers’ Association-Ullal zone, Vittala said.

The students had planted 350 saplings in July. The Forest Department had provided good saplings that were about two to two-and-a-half years old.

The students had worked in batches of 20 to 25 students to plant the saplings. The saplings are indigenous - fruit-bearing, flowering and medicinal ones. The saplings have been planted systematically by providing sufficient space, he said.

The members of Dakshina Kannada District Pre-university College Principals’ Association will harvest paddy cultivated at Baarde between 8.45 am to 11 am on December 19.