Horticulture is set to make a comeback at Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) after four decades. The university has reintroduced a four-year BSc Horticulture programme, last taught between 1979 and 1983. The course was discontinued due to a reported ego clash between the agriculture and horticulture departments. However, pressure from alumni of the last horticulture batch has led to its revival.
KAU’s academic council had approved the programme’s reintroduction on March 24, but its launch was delayed. The university has now published the course prospectus, with classes being offered on a cost-sharing basis and higher fees. Vice-Chancellor B Ashok explained that the decision was driven by increasing interest in horticulture courses across India. KAU has also introduced 25 other new courses this year.
Kerala has a rich horticulture tradition, cultivating crops across 22 lakh hectares out of 26 lakh hectares of agricultural land. The state produces over 25 million tones of horticultural crops annually, including fruits, vegetables, spices, plantation crops, and medicinal plants. Kerala leads India in the production of several crops, such as rubber, pepper, cardamom, and coconut.
Despite this, horticulture was sidelined for years, remaining a wing under the Department of Agriculture. Experts believe this hindered Kerala’s growth in the sector, especially when other states were establishing dedicated horticulture departments and colleges.
Former KAU registrar P B Pushpalatha emphasized the need for focused efforts to strengthen Kerala’s horticulture sector. With the revival of the degree course, the state hopes to regain its position in the field.
