K'taka ropes in Cornell to set up horticulture varsity

BANGALORE: Karnataka is eager to rope in New York-based Cornell University to help it provide inputs for establishing the horticulture university in the state, according to Shasikanta Akkappa Naik, Karnataka’s horticulture minister.

Mr Naik who led a team of horticulture experts to attend a “Food and Agri” symposium of Cornell University said that Cornell had done pioneering work in various areas relating to agriculture be it extension services or improving agri productivity.

The decision to set up a horticulture university, to be headquartered in Bagalkot, was announced in the recent state budget. Karnataka has been in the process of separating many of the faculties under its two agriculture universities and spinning them off into separate universities.

Already it has seen the establishment of a veterinary university at Bidar. Horticulture is a major economic activity in Karnataka (noted as the second most arid state in the country after Rajasthan) given that the state has over six distinct types of agro-climatic zones.

Some of the districts like Kolar and Bijapur have gained not just national but international acclaim for their horticulture produce. Bangalore and its neighbouring areas account for over a quarter of the country’s organised floriculture output, bulk of which is exported.

Mr Naik said that there was enormous potential as regards grape cultivation in the state. “In markets like the US there are as many as 22 kinds of grape juice and even viticulture tourism is considered a very important segment of the tourism industry,” he said.

If Cornell decides to partner the state government, it would only strengthen the association the university has with several southern agriculture universities be it Tamilnadu Agriculture University or even the Acharya NG Ranga Agriculture University.