About COFAM, NBU

The COFAM is located on the Asian Highway (AH) 2 in the main campus of the University of North Bengal through Gate No. 2. The Centre for Floriculture & Agri-Business Management (COFAM) was initially conceived as a research project on horticulture under aegis of the Department of Biotechnology, North Bengal University. The big idea behind this was to promote horticulture in a region where it was not practised on a regular basis, despite favourable soil and climate. A detailed proposal was prepared and a request for funds was processed through the then Department of Food Processing, Government of West Bengal, to the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. A grant of Rs. 2.74 crores was made available by the Ministry and the project was implemented in 2006. After the project period was over, the university considered it as one of the best practices and decided to continue its functioning under the Department of Biotechnology. Since then, COFAM has been undertaking demonstrative horticultural practices and extending core technology transfer to the growers and cultivators. At present the practice of COFAM is successful in popularizing cultivation of organic cauliflower, strawberry and dragon fruit in Nepal, Bhutan and Assam—in addition to North Bengal—and is now going to declare two villages in GTA area as Organic Villages.

Backgroung History

Looking at the potential of this region and realizing the existing constraints, University of North Bengal has set up a Center of Floriculture and Agri-Business Management (COFAM), in 2006, with initial support (2006-2011) from the Department of Food Processing and Horticulture (FPI&H), Government of West Bengal. This center placed under the Department of Biotechnology has been serving as an instrument for sustainable rural development through application of scientific and technological knowledge in horticulture sector and integrated farm management. The mandate of this Center is the transfer of technologies through on farm demonstration and training. Thus, the primary activity of COFAM is to cater services in the form of rendering practical courses to different target groups and entrepreneurs related and interlinked with the overall process of development of horticulture industry. Mass production of quality planting materials through conventional and micro-propagation technology is another important area where COFAM has curved a niche. Hands on training courses have been developed to empower the small farmers/growers of this region and to establish producer-consumer direct pathway applying proper information communication system as needed to address the competitive economy. COFAM is destined to undertake projects/programs to study, develop, standardize, implement, commercialize and popularize innovative and sustainable rural technologies with special emphasis on making traditional, rural enterprises more profitable and bring new income generating opportunities through induction of novel enterprises in rural areas.