Key initiatives include modernizing soil testing laboratories, upgrading advisory systems, piloting low-carbon rice farming methods like Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) in select districts, and setting up a Kerala Agro Climate Research Centre (KACRC) at KAU
Published Jul 05, 2025 | 7:44 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 05, 2025 | 7:44 PM
A Pokkali farmer in Ezhikkara, Ernakulam, farming at knee-deep water. (Supplied)
In a significant step towards strengthening climate-resilient agriculture in Kerala, the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) and the Kerala Climate Resilient Agriculture Value Chain Modernization Project (KERA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.
The KERA project, supported by the World Bank, is a five-year initiative aimed at modernizing agricultural value chains and preparing the state’s farm sector to face the growing challenges of climate change.
The MoU was signed by KERA Additional Project Director Vishnu Raj and KAU Registrar Dr. A. Zakir Hussain at a function held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Project Director Vishnu Raj described the collaboration as a “major milestone in Kerala’s efforts to future-proof agriculture against climate change.”
Under the agreement, both institutions will jointly develop and promote climate-resilient farming practices tailored to Kerala’s diverse agro-ecological zones.
Key initiatives include modernizing soil testing laboratories, upgrading advisory systems, piloting low-carbon rice farming methods like Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) in select districts, and setting up a Kerala Agro Climate Research Centre (KACRC) at KAU with the support of the Agriculture Department’s IT Cell.
Senior officials from the Agricultural University and the KERA State Project Management Unit (SPMU) attended the event.
