About College:
The College of Agriculture, Latur started in the year in 1987, vide GR. No. T & V / 1287 / CR-76 / 17-A dated 11.9.1987 for village level workers of the T & V system in agricultural department of Maharashtra State Government leading to the B.Sc. (Agriculture) degree course in 3+1/2 years with in take capacity of 35 candidates. In 1989, this college is strengthened and a separate program was started for the fresh students of 10 + 2 + 4 leading to B.Sc. (Agriculture) course in four years with intake capacity of 64 students vide GR. No. MKV 1889 / CR -117-20-A dated 8.11.89. Further Government of Maharashtra vide GR. No. MKV / 2000 /PK /316 / 20-A/ Mumbai / 16 October, 2001 has increased the intake capacity of UG from 64 to 99 including the provision of XII (Science) passed in-service deputed candidates in spite of the Xth standard.
The PG program in five disciplines, i.e. Agronomy, Botany, Entomology, Plant Pathology, Agricultural chemistry and Soil sciences and Agricultural Economics, with the intake capacity of six students in each disciplines was started in the academic year 2002 - 03 Vide GR. No. MKV / 2000 / PK-220 / 20A /dated 30th January 2003. Further PG program in remaining 4 subjects; viz. Horticulture, Animal Science & Dairy Science, Agricultural Meteorology and Extension Education was started during 2005-06.
The agricultural graduates today are required to provide technology not only for increasing crop production but also for reducing post-harvest losses and value additions through processing of produce and commodity marketing. Increasing export opportunities in agriculture and allied industry sector has additional demands on agricultural education to meet the growing requirement of food, feed and fiber.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM), controlled cultivation and green house techniques, Horticulture, Agro-forestry, aquaculture, mushroom production, bee keeping, environmental science and agro-ecology, farming system and sustainable agriculture, agribusiness and World trade are the some of new emerging areas which provide major scope to agricultural graduates.
The education in agriculture should therefore, include skill and knowledge to meet the challenges of providing increasing employment opportunities to young agricultural graduates in academic institutions and service sector. More over they should have enough entrepreneurial skill and confidence to be a job provider than a job seeker. A combination of theory, practical and field industry management interactions with special knowledge in agriculture rural work experience including attachments with the villages, industries, regional research stations and plant clinics have been intended to induct professionalism in would be agricultural graduates.