A few years ago, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research realised the importance of building human resources with skills, professionalism, attitude and aptitude the agriculture sector demands today. Experiential Learning Programme (ELP) was thus started and is being implemented by all state agriculture universities across the country for all the undergraduate courses in agriculture and allied sectors. University of Horticultural Science, Bagalkot is no exception, and has been implementing the ELP through its programme called Horticulture Experiential Learning Programme (HELP) for the past six years.
As the name indicates, the students who undergo this ELP as part of their curriculum will have to learn the nuances of farm science as an enterprise through practical experience. For example, if you want to learn the art of grafting, the best way is to do it yourself. As part of this academic requirement, farm science students learn many such skills. Besides, students also learn the intricacies of marketing agriculture commodities, products or services. The prime objective of ELP is to build capacity among students with respect to their technical knowledge, skill and entrepreneurship. Each student is expected to enhance his or her skills and knowledge through ELP. In effect, the students who undergo this programme need not depend on either government or private sector jobs; instead they can start their own agri-based enterprise after graduation. ELP is the foundation on which they can build a strong agri-enterprise.
Vidya and Anil are such students who started their own fruit juice enterprise in Bengaluru eight months ago. "ELP greatly helped us in acquiring technical and managerial skills which are very much required to start an enterprise," says Vidya. ELP helps the students in preparing a viable agri-project, its implementation and marketing, among others. As a result, students become more confident to start their own enterprise. At the College of Horticulture, Mysuru, there are five ELP learning units with around 50 students. The five units include commercial horticulture, production of bio-agents, protected cultivation, processing and value addition and mushroom production. Each student can choose any one of these units based on his or her interest. The ELP runs for six months of which two weeks are meant for project planning, 20 weeks for production and marketing, one week for documentation and one week is reserved for evaluation. "After I complete my course, I will be setting up a polyhouse and aim for high productivity as we have limited land at home. I am sure I can make a good profit," says Pavan Gowda, one of the ELP students.
Apart from learning about the nuances of farming during the course, students also get to learn about the intricacies of integrated farming, the value of collective wisdom and marketing strategies. Additionally, they get to experiment what is taught in class. "This programme should be there for at least two years instead of six months, so that we become confident and skilful," opines Nanditha. Though in its initial years, the ELP has shown the way for student entrepreneurs to become 'agripreneurs'.
As the name indicates, the students who undergo this ELP as part of their curriculum will have to learn the nuances of farm science as an enterprise through practical experience. For example, if you want to learn the art of grafting, the best way is to do it yourself. As part of this academic requirement, farm science students learn many such skills. Besides, students also learn the intricacies of marketing agriculture commodities, products or services. The prime objective of ELP is to build capacity among students with respect to their technical knowledge, skill and entrepreneurship. Each student is expected to enhance his or her skills and knowledge through ELP. In effect, the students who undergo this programme need not depend on either government or private sector jobs; instead they can start their own agri-based enterprise after graduation. ELP is the foundation on which they can build a strong agri-enterprise.
Vidya and Anil are such students who started their own fruit juice enterprise in Bengaluru eight months ago. "ELP greatly helped us in acquiring technical and managerial skills which are very much required to start an enterprise," says Vidya. ELP helps the students in preparing a viable agri-project, its implementation and marketing, among others. As a result, students become more confident to start their own enterprise. At the College of Horticulture, Mysuru, there are five ELP learning units with around 50 students. The five units include commercial horticulture, production of bio-agents, protected cultivation, processing and value addition and mushroom production. Each student can choose any one of these units based on his or her interest. The ELP runs for six months of which two weeks are meant for project planning, 20 weeks for production and marketing, one week for documentation and one week is reserved for evaluation. "After I complete my course, I will be setting up a polyhouse and aim for high productivity as we have limited land at home. I am sure I can make a good profit," says Pavan Gowda, one of the ELP students.
Apart from learning about the nuances of farming during the course, students also get to learn about the intricacies of integrated farming, the value of collective wisdom and marketing strategies. Additionally, they get to experiment what is taught in class. "This programme should be there for at least two years instead of six months, so that we become confident and skilful," opines Nanditha. Though in its initial years, the ELP has shown the way for student entrepreneurs to become 'agripreneurs'.