The Kerala Agricultural University is the primary and the principal instrumentality of the Kerala State in providing human resources, and skills and technology, required for the sustainable development of its agriculture, defined broadly encompassing all production activities based on land and water, including crop production (agriculture), animal husbandry, forestry and fishery through conducting, interfacing and integrating education, research and extension in these spheres of economic endeavour.
Deemed to have come into existence on February 24th 1971 by the Act 33 of 1971 of the Kerala State Legislature, entitled 'The Agricultural University Act, 1971', the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) became operational since February 1st 1972 when the then existing two educational and 21 research institutions administered by the Departments of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry of the Government of Kerala, were brought under one umbrella for facilitating the sustainable and accelerated development of agriculture in the State.