History

Deemed to have come into existence on February 24th 1971 by the Act 33 of 1971 of the Kerala State Legislature, entitled 'The Agricultural University Act, 1971', the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) became operational since February 1st 1972 when the then existing two educational and 21 research institutions administered by the Departments of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry of the Government of Kerala, were brought under one umbrella for facilitating the sustainable and accelerated development of agriculture in the State.

The University under the KAU Act is bestowed with responsibility and vested with jurisdiction extending to the entire geographic territory of the State in fulfilling its designated mandate. Located almost in the middle of the state at Vellanikkara in the Thrissur District on the National Highway (NH47) at about 13 km from the Thrissur Railway Station and 50 km from the International Airport, Kochi, the headquarters of KAU is easily accessible by road, rail and air.

Mandates

The mandates of the University as defined in `The Agricultural University Act, 1971, are:

1. Making provision for imparting education in different branches of study, particularly in agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry including veterinary and dairy science, co-operation, fisheries, forestry, agricultural engineering, home science and other allied branches of learning and scholarship;

2. Furthering the advancement of leadership and prosecution of research, particularly in agriculture and allied sciences;

3. Undertaking an extension education programme; and

4. Such other purposes as the University may from time to time determine.

The Vision

• Kerala Agricultural University is well poised to meet the challenges ahead that transforms agriculture sector into the engine of growth of Kerala's economy by providing the human resources, and skills and technology for the sustainable development of state's agriculture, all economic activities put to the production of biomass based land and water including crop production (agriculture), animal husbandry, forestry and fishery.

• Realisation of this objective renders imperative; on the one hand, the fostering the natural strengths and advantages emanating from resource endowments such as abundant rainfall, and sun shine and tropical year round biomass production capability as well as the literate and well informed human population; and on the other hand sharpening the competitive edge of Kerala's agriculture through a package of appropriate strategies, public policies, programmes technology services and investment support.

• In the specific context of Kerala's highly heterogeneous resource base and societal values, for ensuring livelihood security of the dependent population a paradigm shift in optimisation of the biophysical resource base for agriculture development is called for from the maximisation of production of specific commodities in contrast, to the maximisation of income and employment on a sustainable basis.

• The Kerala Agricultural University would strive to fulfill its commitment by reorienting and restructuring its programmes. In education at the graduate level, professionalism would be strengthened with entrepreneurship; and at the post graduate level, training would be imparted in emerging areas integrating relevant disciplines such as biotechnology, natural resource management, environment, IPR and biodiversity, WTO and global trade to mention a few.

• Research would be reoriented on pursuing a system approach to technology generation systems rather than specific commodities and focused on integrated agro-silvi-pastoral-aqua production systems and resource based livestock production; emphasis would be on product conversion and value addition rather than ending production alone.

• Extension and technology transfer would focus on group approach and area approach, and technology for production systems rather than commodities; training for entrepreneurship rather than adding skills; and support services to be rendered by the single window.