Discovering India and how it works
Group of Cornell University students arrive in the state to learn all about farming here.
On Monday evening, students from the Cornell University in New York were given a warm welcome to India by the Sathguru foundation as a part of the international agricultural and rural development exchange programme
This annual field trip visit will expose the students to the agriculture, textiles and dairy industries of South India. Connie Potter, a student of agriculture and life sceinces at Cornell University, said.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to understand the different practices of agriculture in India. We have been to the Akshay Patra foundation, a place which cooks for thousands of children every day. It was also amazing learning about the process of how they source raw materials and then how the prepared food reaches thousands of school children every single day.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Sweeney, a student of plant breeding, said. “we have been to the Indian Institute of Rice Research in Hyderabad and studied several rice types. The types of rice that are cultivated in flat plains and in hilly terrains are different. So, it has been a learning experience. Sweeney comes from America's mid-west and he talked about the differences in agricultural practices between India and the United States.
"The most notable difference is the scale. We have huge fields and farms and the technology really helps bring out the best results. Here, I notice that the fields and farms are much smaller in size... but technology is fast catching up in India."
The visit does not include only Telangana. In India for 15 days, the students will also travel to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu So what is the end result of their learning?
About the programme, Allison Keggan, a student of food and agriculture said: “It will give us global exposure and the understanding of different cultures. The resources that the University provides will help us gain practical experience.
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