Thiruvananthapuram, Friday 31 July 2009: Agricultural scientists and officers of the Agriculture Department should go to the farmers and provide them solutions for various farming-related problems, Kerala Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran has said.

The Minster was inaugurating a workshop on research-knowledge and extension organised by the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) and the ‘Karshaka Santhwanam’ programme being implemented with assistance from the ‘Rashtriya krishi Vikas’ scheme.

The workshop is being held at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, near here.

It is aimed at bringing to light the problems faced by farmers and at prioritising research projects based on such problems, a press note issued here said. Problem-driven research schemes would be implemented under the ‘Athma’ scheme of the Agriculture Department.

KAU scientists would make presentations explaining how university research output can be used by farmers. Under the ‘Karshika Santhwanam’ scheme, the university would operate a helpline for farmers. The facility would be initially in place in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta.