561 Farmers, Entrepreneurs become Farm Tech Graduates

On occasion of the 48th Foundation Day and Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Graduation Day of university, B .F. Technology degree was awarded to 229 who successfully completed the programme. Started in the year 2010, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University's (TNAU's) B.F. Technology course has produced as many as 561 graduates, a majority of them being farmers and entrepreneurs.The three-year programme offered at the university and its constituency colleges run into six semesters and students are taught 20 subjects.

In his foundation day address, Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research New Delhi appreciated the TNAU's achievements in setting an example to other agricultural institutions of the country.

Throwing light on the course, Dr P. Santhi, Director of open and distance learning of TNAU,  stated “the first-of-its-kind programme that is offered by the university in the country aims at transforming the farmers into technocrats and job providers.” Dr K. Ramasamy, Vice-Chancellor,  in his keynote address recollected the transformation of the university to its current status from a small farm school at Saidapet in 1863.

He lauded the cooperation extended by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in transforming agricultural education and research and emphasized the need for framing curriculum that suits the interest of the region and state.

On the occasion, staff who have put in 25 years of service and drivers who have put in more a decade service were honoured. Students were also felicitated for their outstanding academic achievements.