By recognizing the importance of agricultural education in rural areas, the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore has rightly selected Hassan as the ideal location to start Agricultural College. The district has varied agro-climatic conditions congenial for growing of various field as well as fruits and plantation crops. The college would help the farming community of the state in general and Hassan district in particular by way of producing well trained manpower, genuine agricultural inputs like seeds, planting materials and other information from time to time for overall development of the rural community.

The University of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore was established by the government of Karnataka in the year 1963 with the objective of serving the farming community in a bid to improve the crops and crop production by adopting the contemporary technology from across the globe in a bid to achieve self sufficiency in food production and thereby food security.

As a part of government policy to ruralise agricultural education in the country, a new College of Agriculture was started in 1996 for Hassan district. Initially the classes were conducted at GKVK Campus, Bangalore due to non-availability of infrastructure at Hassan. Subsequently the new campus at Karekere, Hassan was established in 2006. The Campus has 184 acres of land 21 km from Hassan on Mangalore-Bangalore Highway (NH-75).

With a vision to impart quality education and develop technologies for sustainable agriculture, three degree programs viz. B.Sc. (Agri.), B.Tech. (Biotech.) and B.Tech (Food Tech.) are being offered at this campus. Separate infrastructures have been created for each of the degree programs. A total of 771 students (397 girls and 374 Boys) are studying in the campus. Students are being exposed to rural agriculture, cropping patterns, orchards and plantations, food and biotech industries and other related research institutions.

College of Agriculture has the best facilities and amenities for teaching and learning programs including modern class rooms with electronic image projectors, well furnished seminar halls and examination hall with video surveillance system. There are well equipped laboratories for teaching core and allied subjects of curriculum. Agricultural Chemistry, Plant Pathology, Agri. Microbiology, Entomology, Crop Physiology and Genetics laboratories are well equipped with demonstration aids, models, specimens and experimental support systems. A central instrumentation lab equipped with HPLC, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, UV-VIS spectrophotometer, automated Soxhlet system, automatic kjeldahl system, flame photometer, etc. is functional in the campus.

State-of-the-art Soil Health Clinic and Plant Health Clinic with disease forecasting facilities have been established in this college for soil and plant analysis and fertilizers recommendation, reclamation measures, nutrient deficiency diagnosis, soil fertility mapping, quality assessment of irrigation water, fertilizer and manures, advocating ad-hoc measures for disease control and for imparting training to students and farmers.

Rural Agricultural Work Experience programs (RAWEP) are organized in villages as a part of the course curriculum. The students stay in the villages for a period of three months and organize field visits, animal health campaigns, training programs and crop seminars where scientists from Agricultural College, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Agriculture Research Station and Bio-fuel Park participate as resource persons.

A degree program in Agriculture Biotechnology was started in the year 2007 accentuating mandate of imparting knowledge in Agricultural Biotechnology. Application of Biotechnology in a comprehensive and responsible manner is of paramount importance in developing sustainable Agricultural practices in pest, disease and stress management, and in increasing crop yield. The degree program strives to achieve this with the core focus of developing trained manpower with a strong educational foundation.

A separate Biotechnology Block has been established with state-of-the-art facilities such as smart class rooms and seminar hall with modern furniture and audio visual teaching aids, high definition interactive projector, public address system, etc. This division has research laboratories viz. Bioinformatics, Tissue culture, Genetic Engineering, Microbial Genetics, Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology and Protein Chemistry. Bioinformatics lab has 40 computers networked and connected with 1 mbps high speed broadband. The major instruments in other teaching labs are optical bright field and phase contrast binocular microscope with documentation facility, UV-Vis. Spectro photometer, PCR machines, high-resolution-high content gel electrophoresis systems, Gel documentation system, Multipurpose bio-reactor, etc.

In the final semester, students are sent for enhanced laboratory training to Research Institutes for a period of 4 months under the Biotechnology Work Experience Program. The students will get an opportunity to work in premier Research Institutes such as the Indian Institute of Science, the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Instem, Indian Institute for Horticulture Research, National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Monsanto Research Centre and Indo American Hybrid Seeds at Bangalore. The students projects have been greatly appreciated by respective scientists of these Institutes and novel findings will be taken forward for further study and research publications.

To meet the requirements for well qualified and trained manpower for the fast growing food processing industry, the B. Tech (Food Sci. and Tech.) degree program was started in the year 2007. Various courses in specialized areas of Food and Nutritional Science, Food Processing Technology, Food and Industrial Microbiology, Food Engineering and Food Trade and Business Management are offered. Importance is given to both for theoretical as well as practical knowledge.

A separate Food Science block has been established with five teaching laboratories, viz, Food Microbiology and Fermentation Technology, Dairy Technology, Fruits and Vegetable Processing, Grain Milling technology and Baking and Extrusion technology which are fully functional. All class rooms are well furnished and equipped with modern teaching aids. Major facilities/instruments in this department are lyophilizer, spray drier, de-husker, polisher, perler, flour mill, baking oven, extruder, blender, automated Soxhlet apparatus fruit and vegetable juicer, etc.

As a part of the food technology industrial work experience during the final semester, the students undergo practical training in reputed institutions and food industries in the State such as CFTRI, DFRL, Coca Cola, Pepsico, MTR Foods, Nestle, Unibic Biscuits, Maiyas Foods and Beverages, Swastik Foods, Karnataka Milk Federation and CAMPCO.

A central computer facility with 50 computers and internet connectivity and a library with more than 15000 accessions from diverse knowledge domains strengthen the teaching and learning programs. The library has digital archive, online journals, offline e-books, etc. Association with NAIP, ICAR provides access to over 1700 full text e-journals to facilitate ongoing and prospective research programs.

The major objective of the Institution is techno-socio-economic empowerment of farm sector through adoption of integrated technologies and effective outreach systems. Importance is being given for developing competence among graduates in functioning as effective teachers, researchers and extension professionals in transfer of technology to the farmers so as to ensure their livelihood security.