Agriculture universities to adopt villages, help farmers increase yield

Soon, students from agricultural universities will be adopting nearby villages to help farmers improve their methods and increase the yield

Soon, students from agricultural universities will be adopting nearby villages to help farmers improve their methods and increase the yield.

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At a time when the state is struggling to cope with drought, cotton farmers are burdened with large debts and changing cyclical crop patterns.

The state agricultural department has written to agricultural universities, asking them to officially adopt villages.

The department has asked students from Mahatma Phule Agriculture University in Rahuri, Punjabrao Deshmukh Agriculture University in Akola, Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Agriculture University in Dapoli and Marathwada Agriculture University in Parbhani to identify villages for this endeavour.

Agriculture minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said that students should come up with modern techniques to store farm produce, get it to the market, and make sure they are marketed well to get the best price.