Vegetable growing compulsory at a Zhejiang college
[Photo: from VCG]
Planting vegetables has been made a compulsory subject for students at the College of Agronomy at Zhejiang A&F University.
To graduate, students will now have to learn how to plant vegetables such as cabbages, carrots and cucumbers, in addition to having lessons on farmland.
Not only will the students be taught how to plant seeds, water them and till the soil, but they will now also be shown how to prune plants and deal with pests.
To pass the exam and earn credits in the subject, the students will need to participate attentively in the classes and reap good harvests.
Since it was set up, the Zhejiang A&F University has been encouraging its students to take part in farming activities and learn how to use agricultural tools.
Since 2012, the university has made hectares of farmland available for students to use in their study.
Veteran farmers have also been invited to be teaching assistants to help the students grasp the practical skills of planting vegetables.
[The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI.]