A NOTE TO THE SPECIALIST/MEMBER AGRICULTURE This brief is consequent on the EMAK workshop that concluded last week in Trivandrum.

I happened to be sitting in the workshop. The KPB could examine the suggestions indicated below. Besides being what I am, I am also a farmer, a part-time farmer, if that be the correct phrase. We maintain a coconut farm with over 200+ yielding trees in the suburb of the city closer to the Agricultural Univ. campus near Poonkulam. It has been with us for the last say 75 yr or so perhaps much earlier to the inception of Agricultural College, Vellayani. But we have now the second generation yielding trees. I always shoot of complaints or criticisms only, for the complements will always come from happy and smiling farmers. Firstly and surprisingly, there has never been a visit by a faculty with students to this farm or any other coconut farm in the neighbourhood that I know of. (I have been watching my trees and fulfilling their needs promptly and make visits every week end). Well the college then and the university now maintains instructional farm inside the campus. It could be a reason for not visiting. Yet what exactly is the benefit (outside of the radio show and Kerala karshakan) to me or any other farmer-citizen living near the campus?. Is it not only fair that the Agroscientisats are encouraged to visit farms and make observations or suggestions that are beneficial to the farmer to begin with and to the GDP of the state from this sector. Secondly, on a certain context I visited the Krishi bhavan (Thiruvallom) to receive monetary incentive for 6 or so coconut trees damaged in a lightening hitting the trees. Well I was also informed to carry a sample of soil from the farm, which I promptly did. The sample of course was dispatched to the Puliyarakonam Lab for chemical analysis and the down stream suggestions of manuring etc based on the analysts report. The results came to me by India post to my home with the following recommendation that I go to the Thiruvallom Krishi Bhavan again with report for final suggestions. I never understood the purpose of my going back to the KBT. Instead, the lab should have given the recommendation regarding the manure type and dose based on the soil analytical data by themselves. Imagine the level of service rendered to the farmer by the Agri department of the state to the farmer like me and thousands of others in the state. This is the redtape that keeps on growing in length and never shortens itself inspite of the mobile telephony and internet service on the m.phones. The copy of the report on soil analysis given to me is in Table. Krishi Green Lime, g N, g P2O5 g K2O g Manure,kg Coconut 25.0 750 398 180 721

Magsulphate, g 500

The report does not recommend the equivalent commercial brands or combinations there of instead I am directed to KBT again to gather further information. Think of the plight of the Kerala Farmer most of who are part-timers. My suggestion, might seem impractical to begin with, is that either the KB gets the report directly from the lab translates the recommended dose into commercial brands and respective weights before forwarding the report to the farmer who sample belonged to. Interestingly, in the other states wherefrom the veg and grains are exported to Kerala for us to use, follow a different format. May I hope that Kerala also will fall inline with other states of the union. thrivikramji@gmail.com