The Department of Agricultural Statistics is part of the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University. Its work connects statistical education, experimental design, data analysis and agricultural research.
Our history
A unit of Agricultural Statistics began in 1956, initially attached to Agronomy. As teaching and support for experiment planning and data analysis grew, the Government of Kerala sanctioned an independent department in 1968 under Prof. E. J. Thomas. Research activity expanded after Kerala Agricultural University was formed in 1972. The M.Sc. Agricultural Statistics programme began in 2014, followed by the PhD programme in 2025.
Current student strength
| Programme | First year | Second year | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| PG | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| PhD | 2 | 3 | 5 |
What students learn
The department brings study design, statistical computing and interpretation together with real agricultural problems. Its work includes experimental design, data visualization, forecasting, machine learning and AI-assisted knowledge delivery. Explore research, student learning, internship applications and training programmes.
Facilities
The department has teaching classrooms, an informatics and computer lab with 25 computers, a postgraduate classroom, a statistical analysis facility and a small statistics museum with historical calculating and storage tools.
The department also has an incubation room supporting entrepreneurial work. Statoberry LLP, an in-house incubated startup, is mentored by the Head of Department, Dr. Pratheesh P. Gopinath. See the gallery for photographs of the computer lab and incubation room.
Heads of department
The department’s historical record lists the following heads from its establishment in 1968.
| Head | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Prof. E. J. Thomas | 31 Aug 1968 | 20 Jan 1981 |
| Sri M. P. Abdurazak | 21 Jan 1981 | 17 Jun 1981 |
| Sri P. Gangadharan | 18 Jun 1981 | 21 Dec 1981 |
| Prof. K. S. Karayalar | 22 Dec 1981 | 21 Mar 1982 |
| Dr. K. C. George | 22 Mar 1982 | 11 Aug 1983 |
| Dr. P. Saraswathi | 12 Aug 1983 | 31 May 1984 |
| Dr. P. V. Prabhakaran | 1 Jun 1984 | 1 May 1989 |
| Dr. P. Saraswathi | 2 May 1989 | 1 Jun 2005 |
| Sri R. Balakrishnan Asan | 2 Jun 2005 | 22 Nov 2008 |
| Dr. Vijayaraghava Kumar | 23 Nov 2008 | 31 May 2019 |
| Dr. Brigit Joseph | 1 Jun 2019 | 31 Jan 2023 |
| Dr. Pratheesh P. Gopinath | 1 Feb 2023 | Present |
University leadership
Dr. T. Sajitha Rani, Vice-Chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University. University leadership ↗
Contact
Department of Agricultural Statistics
College of Agriculture, Vellayani
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695522
Email: hodstat.coav@kau.in
Phone: +91 70119 04862
The address and contact details are listed on the official department page.