Agricultural Development Trust

Since 1966, efforts have been made for famine relief of drought prone Baramati region, with a vision of Hon’ble Sharadchandra Pawar and with support of Australian missionaries. It includes, various rural developmental activities like construction of percolation tanks, providing loans for digging wells, blasting units, supply of improved variety seeds and agricultural equipments. For continuous development work and to organise it on broader lines a sound platform was needed, hence the Agricultural Development Trust was established in the year 1971. Later, Hon’ble Sharadchandra Pawar involved in development work through Ministry of Maharashtra state. The trust has developed 110 acres of demonstration farm at Malegaon with different Agriculture and Horticulture units, under the initiative efforts of Late Dr. Appasaheb Pawar who accepted the sole responsibility of trust to carry out the various schemes required for further development. He executed pioneering work in drip irrigation. The demonstration units such as dairy (Modern housing system), sheep-goat division, poultry, soil and water analysis, green house and sericulture were started. The trust undertook various training programmes for rural youth and farmers through establishment of young Farmers’ association. This trust has got recognition as post graduate study and research centre in field of Agriculture by Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, Rahuri. The trust later on established educational campus for women and Agriculture science centre (KVK) for effective transfer of technologies and implementation of research findings by the way of extension, demonstration and education. Now KVK is engaged in various activities such as farmers’ training, Biofertilizer and Biopesticide production and supply, seed processing, fruit processing, agro tourism, nursery, cyber extension centre, crop and animal doctor web portal and Agriculture Community Radio Centre.