Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture

Organized by

Workshop - Phase II

5 - 6, April 2014@ TNAU, Coimbatore

Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture

Edited by : Dr. N. Parasuraman and Mr.Jegan Karuppiah

Designed by : N. Premkumar - JLP Designs

Printed by : Brilliant Graphics - 9962726004


Workshop - Phase II

5 - 6, April 2014@ TNAU, Coimbatore

Organized by

ContentsForewordAcknowledgementIntroductionGuest’s Address

Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture - Workshopi. Dr. Karthikeyanii. Mr. Vincent Manohariii. Dr. Kezevino Aramiv. Dr. K. Ramasamy

Role of Youth in National Resourse Management and Agriculturei. Mr. M. J. Prabhuii. Dr. K. A. Ponnusamyiii. Mr. Vincent Manohariv. Mr. P. P. Saravananv. Dr. M. Bhaskaranvi. Dr. S. R. Subramanian

Avenues of Extension - Steps to Refine and Retain Youth in Agriculture

i. Ms. Nancy J. Anabelii. Dr. Vijayaraghavaniii. Mr. G. Sitheriv. Dr. Geetha Lakshmiv. Dr. Iqbal

Concerns of Young Farmers

Dr. B. K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar

Recommendationsi. Draft Policy on Youth in Agricultureii. What needs to be done- Measures and Recommendations

Foreword

Ours is a land of the youth. This is our greatest asset. Young minds are

creative minds and youth are capable of achieving seemingly impossible tasks such as monsoon management, climate change adaptation and mitigation and enduring malnutrition. Average farm size in our country is getting smaller. Hence, group cooperation is important to harness the value of scale both in the production and post harvest phases of farming. It is in this context that the workshop on attracting and retaining youth in agriculture held at the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore on April 5-6, 2014 assumes great significance with reference to shaping the future of agriculture in our country.

We need the growth of a strong services sector in rural India. Agri-business centres and agri-clinics are needed on a big scale. Farm schools will have to be established in the fields of young farmers, in order to promote farmer to farmer learning. Value addition will have to be done to primary products in order to increase income. New technologies will have to be introduced, such as biotechnology after careful consideration of risks and benefits. I am glad that the Coimbatore workshop dealt with many of these issues in great depth.

The present proceedings indicate that the participants paid lot of attention to the major theme of the conference namely, attracting and retaining youth in farming. We are indebted to Dr. K. Ramasamy, Vice Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, for hosting the conference. Our sincere thanks are also due to Dr. Kezevino Aram, Director, Shanti Ashram for her invaluable help. The Keynote Address of Dr. B.K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was a source of inspiration to all the participants. I wish to pay my tribute to Dr. Ajay Parida, Executive Director, MSSRF and Dr. N. Parasuraman, Principal Scientist, MSSRF for their painstaking efforts in organising a meaningful conference which can help to replace despair with hope in the minds of our rural youth.

M S Swaminathan

M S Swaminathan Research Foundation6

Executive Director’s message

Youth are the primary productive human resource of socio-economic development. It is therefore, essential to locate the role of youth in mainstream development. The youth of India is diverse in ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Such a diversity necessitates customized initiatives to meet needs and activate their untapped potential.

The M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), since 1988 works in thematic areas of coastal systems, biotechnology, biodiversity,

ecotechnology, food security, and information, education, and communication. The approach is based on strategic and participatory research, capacity building, networking and partnership building, based on the principle of social inclusion in access to technologies which help enhance income and conserve natural resources. The research and outreach strategies are devised to bridge the rich-poor and gender divides in the areas of information, knowledge, and skill empowerment. Youth in Development is one of the recent initiatives of MSSRF.

The current focus is on how to make agriculture more attractive and rewarding to the younger generation. Agriculture continues to be at the mercy of the monsoon and the markets. It is imperative for the nation to produce food not only to feed its 1 billion+ human population but also for an equal number of livestock. As per the most recent law on Food Security, 40 kg of food grains should be given to about 70 per cent of the population every month. I am happy to note that technology has been doing a tremendous job in this regard even in backward states like Bihar and Odisha; the productivity had shot up because of the adoption of new technology.

I trust that this kind of workshop will be very helpful to attract and retain youth in agriculture and I appreciate Dr.Parasuraman and his team for conducting such a relevant and needed workshop.

Ajay.K.Parida

Workshop on Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture - Phase II 7

Acknowledgement

The M S Swaminathan Research Foundation is grateful to Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Government of Tamilnadu, Mr.Sandeep Saxena, Agriculture Secretary, Government of Tamilnadu, Dr. K.Ramasamy, Vice Chancellor of TNAU, Dr.Kezevino Aram, Director, Shanthi Ashram, Panelist, Moderators and Chairs for their valuable input during the workshop with the theme of Attracting and Retaining Youths in Agriculture. The MSSRF particularly Youth Development team thanks to all the participants of the workshop. It also thanks the exhibitor’s particularly agricultural engineering department and other for showcasing their technologies and materials.

The Youth development division, M S Swaminathan Research foundation sincerely thanks to Dr. Somasundram and Dr. Karthikeyan, Public Relationship officers of TNAU for providing necessary help to conduct the workshop.

The Youth development division, M S Swaminathan Research foundation sincerely thanks to Mr.M.J. Prabu, Reporter, The Hindu, for his excellent support and advices.

The Youth development division is thankful to Dr.Selvam, Director, Department of Coastal System Research and all our directors of MSSRF, and Department of Eco Technology for their guidance.

The Youth development division is thankful to Dr.Israel Oliver King, Mr.Abubakkar Cithick, Mr.Balamurugan, Dr.Rajkumar, Dr.Velvizhi, Ms.Aruna, Dr.Palaniyappan, Mr.Murugan, Mr.Murugesan, Mr.Mubarak, Mr.Selvaraj, Mr.Bhilal, Mr.Barathidasan, Mr.Vinoth, Ms.Eddolin, Ms.Siranjothi, Ms.Shanmugapriya, Mr.Kevikumar, Mr.Balaji, Mr.Saravanan and Mr. Suban of M S Swaminathan Research foundation for their dedicated and patient support in the areas of transport, accomodation, floor arrangement and food arrangement etc.

Sincere thanks to Mr.Jegan Karuppiah, Mr.Ananth, Ms.Vidya and Mr.Britto for coordinating at different levels to conduct the programme successfully.

Sincere thanks to Indian Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of India, IOB, Rotary Coimbatore central ATHMA project team of Coimbatore, SICOM and World Bank for their excellent support. Finally the youth development division sincerely Thanks to Prof. Dr. M.S.Swaminathan, Emeritus Chairman, Dr. Ajay K.Parida, Executive director and Ms.Nancy, J.Anabel, Director, Department of Information Education and Communication for their immense support. Sincere thanks to Mr.P.Dhanaraj, Ms.Srilakshmi and Ms.Ankitha for report compilation.

Dr. N. ParasuramanPrincipal Scientist

M S Swaminathan Research Foundation


Introduction

Tamil Nadu’s population according to the 2011 Census is about 7.2 crore. More than half of them live in villages, although Tamil Nadu is fast becoming a urban State (i.e., rural-urban continuum). More than half of the State population is below the age of 30. The younger generation will be interested in taking to farming as a profession only if farming becomes both economically and intellectually attractive. The future of food security in our country will depend on both the strengthening of the ecological foundations essential for sustainable agriculture, as well as attracting the educated youth to farming and allied professions such as animal husbandry, inland and marine fisheries, agro-forestry, agro-processing and agri-business. It will therefore be useful if the State Government launches a special programme for enabling youth to remain in villages and take to scientific agriculture. The programme, which can be titled “Empowerment of Youth in Agriculture” should help young farm women and men to earn income from both farm and non-farm enterprises. There are great opportunities for strengthening the services sector in rural areas. A group of young farmers consisting of agricultural, veterinary, home science, engineering and commerce graduates could jointly organize Agricultural Transformation Centres in every block to bring about a technological up gradation of farm operations and farming enterprises as wall to provide demand driven services. Such centres will undertake tasks like pest-proofing of villages and value addition to primary produce. A meeting could be held with NABARD and the Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC) to design the Agricultural Transformation Centres by combining the ongoing programmes such as agriclinics, agri-business centres and SFAC.

Over the next two decades the agriculture sector in India will undergo significant transformation which will result in both challenges and opportunities for young people, depending on who and where they are. In order to achieve food security, India must change from extensive production systems, characterized by minimal inputs and low yields to intensive systems which require greater investments in external inputs and labour saving technologies, but hold the potential to greatly increase yields and provide decent incomes for young farmers now and in future. The agriculture sector has the potential to provide numerous employment opportunities in food production, marketing, processing, retail, catering, and research and, input sales, among others.

A strong commitment to youth development as a priority area by Colleges of Agriculture would be a significant step towards redirecting needed attention and commitment of resources required to meet significant goals of the colleges and the Indian agricultural industry. Hence in this situation, youth development wing has been conducting ARYA workshops to attract youth in agriculture past two years.

M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in collaboration with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore and Shanthi Ashram, Coimbatore conducted a state-level


workshop, “ARYA”- Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture, at Coimbatore on April 5th and 6th, 2014, working towards the goal of sustaining and aiding youth engaged in farming and related activities in the state.

The workshop witnessed participation from across 28 districts in Tamil Nadu, featuring youngsters, and markedly, young women, making the audience 800-strong. The dignitaries for the workshop included Dr. K. Ramaswamy, Vice Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Dr. Ajay K. Parida, Executive Director of M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Dr. B. K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Dr. Kezevino Aram, Director of Shanti Ashram, Coimbatore, Dr. N. Parasuraman, Principal Scientist, MSSRF, Dr. K. Ponnuswamy, TNAU, Mr. Vincent Manohar, Joint Director of Agricultural Engineering, Government of Tamil Nadu, Mr. P. P. Saravanan, Kissan Vikas Kendra, Gandhi Gramam, and Dr. M. Bhaskaran, Seed Officer, TNAU, Dr. S. R. Subramanian, Shanti Ashram, Coimbatore. Ms. Nancy J. Anabel, Director of IEC, MSSRF, Dr. Vijayaraghavan, Special Officer, TNAU, Mr.G. Sither, Naturopath, Dr. Geetha Lakshmi, TNAU, Mr. Pandian, Deputy General Manager, Bank of India, and Mr. Iqbal, Joint Director (Horticulture), Govt. of Tamil Nadu were present to grace the occasion. Apart from these 800 and the special guests, all students of TNAU participated actively in the process of the workshop.

Address by GuestsAttracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture - WorkshopDr. Karthikeyan

“Ulavan setril kaal vaithaal thaan, Naam sottril kai vaikka mudiyum” Dr. Karthikeyan invoked this coinage, which roughly translates as thus: “Only if the farmer works the field, will we (non-farmers) be able to eat”.

Agriculture is the backbone of India. The best agricultural practices will combine traditional agricultural methods reinforced by modern technology and innovations, just as how an elevated life will be led by merging the soul and the spiritual knowledge to attain salvation. It is possible to attain such an enriched goal in agriculture too. Let us gain that knowledge through this workshop.


Mr. Vincent Manohar

Mr. Vincent Manohar was satisfied that the goal that has been set to achieve in agricultural progress would be definitely accomplished as he saw immense potential in the young bright faces gathered for the workshop. It has been only 33 years since innovative methods have been employed in farming sector in India. Youth today, are combining the traditional knowledge from their forefathers and

these new techniques to achieve the best result. Involvement, awareness, marketing skills and a keen eye for detail are the assets of this generation of agriculturalists. The role played by M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in sowing the seeds of creativity and enthusiasm in young minds is significant and laudable.

Dr.Kezenivo Aram

We, as Indians, must take pride in our country and work towards the collective goal of developing India, in a patriotic manner. In particular, the youth must love and acknowledge their country. We must create an atmosphere for the youth to be inspired to stay in villages, as the heart and soul of India, to quote Gandhiji, lies in the villages. The very fact that 800 people from 28 districts have gathered here proves that we are moving in the right direction. To ensure a hearty way of life and a life free of hunger, we must eradicate the very environment of hunger.

These days, infants born in India, are grossly under-weight, even below two and a half kg, and malnourished at birth itself. The youth must take it upon themselves to ensure that this situation of under and malnutrition among children is bettered. Each one of us must work towards fulfilling Gandhiji’s dream of “sarvodhayam”- help each other, help one another with pride and pleasure. Tamil Nadu must emerge as the most developed state in India, and inclusive

growth is the key to achieve this. Whichever place has an abundance of food crops, prosperity and satisfaction of people follows. Agricultural sciences teach us to create a hunger-free environment, which is what MSSRF has envisioned as “Lab-to-Land” programme. This unity shown here is not just for us, but needed for India too. Love, Knowledge, Happiness, Quality of Character, Empathy, Devotion, Duty and Goodness are the God-like qualities that we must all imbibe.


Dr. K. Ramasamy

After finishing his law degree from England,M. K. Gandhi returned to find the pathetic state of Indian farmers, and resigned to wearing only asmall dhoti and a wrap all his life and fought for Indian Independence. This decision was taken in Madurai. In this memory, Gandhigram was founded in Dindigul. Pre-independence, agriculture, seed production and seed inputs, and element conditions necessary for growth of crops were scanty in India. Seven years postindependence, we developed warehousing facilities and hence were able to conserve 35% of total farm produce. The distinction of the agriculturalist’s status was tremendous, considering that most of the population was roaming with a stamp on their ration cards.

Farmers, with their handed-down awareness of generations and their close interaction with nature, have a working knowledge of the germinative conditions in the environment, sans any degree from any university. It’s in their heart, their soul.

This hard labour of the cultivator is how we shall work, we shall plough and we shall uplift ourselves. It is such innate knowledge that maintains self-sufficiency of every village in India. But now, with the least land and the least water, we produce most possible agriculture. Just as how a gold smith melts, mixes and moulds gold into beautiful jewellery, a farmer ploughs, sows and harvests land and produces food grains.

Villages in India today are undergoing a phenomenal reformation. In place of individual effort, machines have taken over the hard labour, and the government subsidies for mechanization of agricultural fields have brought on a Renaissance, changing the face of Indian villages and farmers.

Grain production in India has jumped highs and leaps from 85 metric tonne to 106 metric tonne. The Agriculture Department staff, who have seen us through this target are a symbol of perseverance and endurance. Every village in India is endowed with rich resources to cultivate vegetables, fruits and grains, irrespective of region, plain or terrain. Individual per capita income must be raised through development of grain production aligned with information technology. So agriculture and allied sectors must work together to accomplish this feat.

The same blood that pulsated in the veins of Nobel Prize laureates such as C. V. Raman, Chandrashekhar (Astro Physicist) and the like runs through us. It is this same intelligence and knowledge that is possessed by each of us, the sons of this soil. And it is this knowledge that has enabled us to achieve steady growth in agriculture. We mustn’t forget these epochs in history so that none of us go to sleep hungry. We must sustain this knowledge revolution, which is our asset.


ROLE OF YOUTH IN NATIONAL RESOURSE MANAGEMENT AND AGRICULTUREMr. M. J. Prabhu

Nowadays, youngsters constitute only 13-19% of Farmers. It is imperative to make agriculture a lucrative and profitable occupation in order to increase that number. Such a steady income can be achieved only by combining hard work with modern technology. There are living examples of this success. Mr. Veeraraghavan, a farmer from Thirukkazhukundram earns 5-7 lakhs per annnum through agriculture. In Chengelpet, under the advisory of TNAU, a farmer makes 4-5 lakhs. Mr.Sadananda

from the U.S., in Bangalore, earns 5-6 lakhs.

Dr. K. A. Ponnuswamy

Youngsters play a major role and duty in conserving the natural resources of this country. This is important to ensure that our children and grandchildren do not think

our life experiences with the beautiful natural environment now as myths or cooked-up stories. The time is not far away when we shall have to pay for oxygen, when water will be rationed, and grave bodily disorders will be rampant. Climate change will the order of the day and avertable disasters will create havoc everywhere. Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam said, “The duty to protect natural resources begins from oneself, then family, society and to the country”.

Mr. P. P. Saravanan

A shadow has value only in the sun. Technology needs to be technically accessible, culturally acceptable and environmentally feasible. Raising more trees will bring out a sort of Micro Climate, and so will agricultural forests.

Dr. M. Bhaskaran

In terms of seed technology and distribution, we need to create opportunities for the younggeneration . We need to have a high-yielding seeds and proper seed inputs for another Green Revolution . Availability of seeds must be ensured for seasonal


crops. In India, we require 86 laks quintal seeds ever year. We meet only 30% of this requirement through Central Seed Forum and Seed Production Forum.

At the same time, seed-related technologies abroad are given far more importance, so that through their PHT-Seed Dressing Centres, they make twice or thrice as much profit as we do. We should cultivate crops on lands that are suited for them, and TNAU will be more than happy to offer training programmes for the same. “Confidence is the key” says a young, yet very experienced Mr. Swaminathan from Lalgudi. “Honesty, Righteousness, Talent and Value-Added techniques, Warehousing and Storage Facilities” are the qualities that youth in agriculture must possess.

Dr. S. R. Subramanian

As a Chinese proverb goes, “We are indebted to nature for agricultural land”. It is said in the Quran that “God is the only owner of all natural resources. We as human

beings, have no right to besiege, maim or disfigure any of them.” 68.8% of Indian population dwells in the 6.4 lakh villages and the rest 31.2% lives in cities. Hence these statistics must keep in mind while we use the land in India. We must maintain green forest cover for at least 33% of the total land area. 48% of the total land can be used for agricultural activities and 10% of the fallow land must be rejuvenated for agriculture. The rest must be left fallow for other related activities like grazing.

AVENUES OF EXTENSION - STEPS TO REFINE AND RETAIN YOUTH IN AGRICULTUREMs. Nancy J. Anabel

In her presentation Ms. Anabel focused on the issues affecting farmers in agriculture like soil, water, climate change, etc. She opined that the youth have the skill set and theknowledge to address the issues and needs for which Land to Land, Land to Lab, Land to Land and Lab to Land approach was being practiced. It was presented


that we have to get exact solutions for the problems but most of the time fail to do so. VRC/VKC activities were construed as bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and the community with ICT as the major tool for outreach.

The usage of technology for knowledge dissemination, especially through mobile phones, which play a major role in bringing information to the door step was also pointed out. Transfer of technology

for women empowerment was discussed as well. As a closing note, she observed that as in Barack Obama’s words, India is fortunate to have over half of its total population of 1.2 billion under the age of 30.

Mr. Vijayaraghavan

In his views, Mr. Vijayaraghavan shared his experiences that has taught him two things: Recognize Youth, Allow them to take Decisions. He commented that society recognizes cricket players but not excellent farmers. Only when a person is recognised can he be inspired to set an example and teach others. He expressed that one should

just listen to youths and leave them to do their bit, never compare or pass value-judgements and insisted that youths shouldn’t start agriculture immediately but initially step into the marketing side. This would provide them the necessary experience and exposure in the field. As an example he quoted that a youth in Kerala was cultivating coriander in the off-season, which enabled him to gain profits.

Mr. G. Sither

An organic farmer and a naturopath, Mr. Sither opined that in agriculture the three most important aspects are Production, Post- harvest Techniques and Marketing. Agriculture do not attracts many as it produces less profit. profitable attracts nobody. He, along with his family has cultivated a red rice variety which is rich in anti-oxidants which has cancer-preventing properties. He explained the decentralised theory on self reliance of urban community. ROI –Returns on investment is high in agriculture, in his experience. He is pursuing a diploma in agriculture sciences and owing to his traditional knowledge he knows how to make agriculture a profitable engagement. what to do in agriculture. He is tinkering with designer foods prescribed to solve functional disorders. In a lighter vein, he noted that TASMAC and the fertilizer shop are


similar in that, if we don’t use it they will be closed. He concluded much laudably that agriculture yields so much profit that his sons had also stepped in to this livelihood.

Dr. Geetha Lakshmi

Dr. Lakshmi indicated that there is a 76% fall in the availability of food and the population is growing at the rate of 1.3% every year. Hence by 2050, we have to at least double our productivity. Currently, climate has become highly unpredictable,

as proven by the Thane cyclone. Hence we need to consider these facts while we plan to improve Agricultural productivity. Reports of El Nino says that all of India will suffer drought except Tamil Nadu, which is predicted to have a decent rainfall. To resistant drought variety of crops can be cultivated during the summer as they will give poor yield over monsoon. Taking this to account farmers must cooperate by rotating crops to achieve that mission.

She shared her findings in the Kalingayayan belt which receives water

for at least ten months of the year which is also polluted that the women using it report dermatological issues. Alternate Cropping Pattern based on water and rainfall availability must be focussed under water shed management programmes. Integrated Pest Management, Green Manure usage in a supply-based mode etc. has to be practiced by farmers. ICT forecasting mark situations will also help farmers tremendously. She concluded by recommending a second Green Revolution brought about by the youth of this country with the available technology and will power. This way all the fallow, barren land in the villages can be leased and put into good use too.

Dr. Iqbal

Nowadays, youth turn to farming in only for two reasons- either, that they didn’t get any better job, or because they are genuinely interested in making a profitable affair out of it. Youth can approach the Horticulture Department for any kind of clarifications or queries regarding agricultures, horticulture, fisheries, sericulture etc. Farming requires full commitment and dedication day in and day out. Do give your daughters in hand

to such energetic young men. Adoption of dripirrigation methods will significantly solve water issues.Veterinary department are at your ready service too.


CONCERNS OF YOUNG FARMERSIn a discussion led by Dr. Parasuraman and Mr. Ananth at the Lawley building young farmers and farmer groups were encouraged to speak up on the issues they are facing. In this regard the following concerns were recorded. Largely they skirted around issues of non-availability or accessibility of government subsidies, lack of seeds and seed inputs and water issues. The role of the government in aiding revival of agriculture was repeatedly stressed.

There must be strong linkages between industry and farming. There must also be a marketing interface between agriculture and industry. This can be facilitated by eliminating middle-men and institution VKCs in every village. Workshops such as this need to be conducted on a village-level basis. Policy changes need to be put in place to curb the rampant indiscriminate sale of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes. Masses of farmers need to be educated on export chances and farmers’ groups need to be formed for this purpose. But this will be possible only by institutionalising good cold storage and warehousing facilities for the agricultural produce. Agricultural colleges must also include life sciences and cultivation practices in their syllabus, as well as provide vocational training and farming-allied sectors.

For horticultural fields, pungam punnaku, veppam punnaku, etc. must be mandatorily supplied. Kitchen-gardening practices had to be encouraged. Vaccination of goats by government veterinary hospitals should be instituted and the veterinary doctor has to visit the goat farms. Deworming medicine supply is also needed. The government must supply rain gun, sprinkler equipments at subsidized rates. Sugarcane cultivation, which is now fully affected by Prosopis juliflora, has to be rescued by developing appropriate antidotes. Integrated farming, including raising poultry and cattle and organic farming will prove to be resource-effective and environmentally viable. Vermi-composting and soil-testing at appropriate intervals must be done.

Rain water harvesting is one of the most sustainable water harvesting schemes; if it is done properly no scarcity for water for agriculture will arise. Each village has a pond, and taking that pond and de-silting it makes that village free from water scarcity. Farm


pond cleaning which is defined in MNREGA should be changed as the people can’t do the work properly. So this plan has to be given back to the agriculture engineering department. Exploitation of ground water is upsetting the water table. We use up more than 37% of these reserves but don’t replenish at all. Consequently, salt content has increased. Depletion of ground water is not a far reality, and hence, rain water harvesting methods must be implemented by the government. MSSRF, in its capacity as an implementing agency, must propagate micro irrigation methods.

In 2 012, EB motor service connection was not given, especially in the river banks, where the government was unwilling to give connections beyond 200 m. Apart from this, sand mining causes the water level to go higher and hence, the government must look into this matter immediately and provide electricity and institute solar operated motors, instead of giving grinders and mixies.

There were also concerns that youth were being excluded from farming because of external risk like and non-security of job or income. To cope with this, the groups suggested that youthr has to be provided with field trainings and exposures in order to encourage and make them involved in agriculture. As with the Fisher Friend Scheme, SMS services must be provided for agriculture too. ATMA schemes should give trainings including demonstration, filed exposures, etc. Value-added training to prepare secondary products is also required. The Government has to set up a processing plant for grain processing and such preparations.

Ease of access to credit would also significantly up the number of youth turning towards agriculture. Formalities such as patta, sitta adangal etc. to obtain farm inputs at subsidised rates were rather cumbersome and complicated. Which must be reduced or at least, the deadlines for submitting these files need to be extended. Motivation and respect must be accorded to farmers. Through agencies like Pasumai Kudil Thittam, youth must be informed on the crops that have seasonal market value, like vishu vellari (golden curcubit), which will increase their market sensibilities and income.

Dr. B. K. Krishnaraj VanavarayarThe address delivered by Dr. Vanavarayar thrust upon the need for shift in policy priority and importance given to agriculture. A water policy needs to be formed for the sharing and distribution of water in a systematic manner for the cultivators’ perusal. Also, emphasis has to be laid to save the water from draining into the sea. A consolidated farming method has to be devised with the marginal and small-


scale farmers, and necessary support to them provided thereof. Cold storage facilities and food processing units have to be established in locations that produce in excess. His address also pointed out that job-creation and provision of opportunities in the rural areas need to be kept at parlance with the metros and cities.

TNAU Coimbatore can be touted as one of the oldest universities in India, the distinguished alumnus of which is Dr. M. S. Swaminathan. He had developed a working plan to increase cotton yield in Coimbatore. Following its tremendous success, we (Dr. Vanavarayar and colleagues) met three different Prime Ministers and got instant approval for implementation of this plan in the different states at the mere mention of Dr. M. S. Swaminathan’s name. Now our production has climbed steeps, so much so that we are able to export cotton, after domestic use. The credits are due to Dr. M. S. Swaminathan.

“Think differently, act courageously” is all that I have to say to this lively audience. Agriculture is the backbone of India. Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation are policy phenomena that can apply to only urban cities, not the pristine villages. Abandoning agriculture made the upper-class richer and the lower class poorer. Today , agriculture is not the base of economic policy hence we find ourselves in this perilous situation. The gap between the haves and the

have-nots has widened, eventually dividing India into two- at one end is illiteracy and poverty and on the other, “ a shining” and “a developed” India . The real development will be possible in India only through the redemption of agriculture and agriculturists.

Rural migration resulted in the glut found in cities, as the latter was not accommodated Infrastructure -wise to receive such an influx. Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, he opined that it would be a grave mistake to abandon villages and seek refuge in cities. Villages were the essence of India, but we ignore those words. City-dwellers also scrambled after luxury and did not seek “simple living, high thinking”. This constant yearning for a luxurious life has resulted into a greedy, self-centred world, that we find ourselves in.

Such indiscriminate exploitation of nature has tormented ecological balance. Apart from complaining we never enquire why rain is so scanty now a day. “There’s enough for everyone’s need, but not for anyone’s greed” said Mahatma Gandhi. We should discriminate as to how much and how far change should happen. India’s greatest resource and contribution to the world is its spirituality and we must do everything in our power to preserve it. Albert Einstein said, “Nothing is permanent;only change is constant”. Growth should happen, but in an inclusive and sustainable manner. While framing the economic policy of Independent India, Gandhiji advised Nehru , to look


inwards, at India, for the necessary framework instead of adopting economic models of Foreign natiions.

The primary aim for any youth to engage in a meaningful occupation is to gain a profit. They go astray by engaging in agriculture as it generates any profit. Hence, if agriculture were to be enabled by policy and practice to be a respectful, meaningful and profitable engagement, youth will definitely be attracted to it. So the need of the hour is to approach the upliftment of agriculture by adopting a two pronged strategy- external and internal.

Dr. M.S. Swaminathan has remarked that we need to prioritise agriculture as a decent means of living. Another move to be made to integrate all the national rivers, instead of letting them drain off wastefully into the seas. Consolidated holdings and engaging in collective farming will tremendously reduce the capital for inputs, yet increase productivity. Ensuring Minimum Support Price and Market Price to farmers and providing employment opportunities for graduates in agricultural sciences will definitely be a lucrative offer. Cold storage and godown facilities must be improved upon and expanded to prevent produce wastage. Subsidies for farmers at the right places and devising marketing strategies will definitely boost the agricultural sector.

Farmers should have faith in themselves and find the courage to think uniquely. Consolidated farming will empower farmers as a collective unit. Scientists, agriculturalists and the government should work together and increase buffer grain stock in a self-sufficient manner. Our aim must be a hunger free India by eradicating poverty and should reach in a state where no one has to beg for food..“You will become What you wish to be” said Swami Vivekananda Whose words were forgotten .There’s no better country or culture than this. When we realize that we are heirs to such a great country, and strive persistently, we will be able to realize this distinguished dream. The day we re-write history is not far away.

RECOMMENDATIONSMSSRF in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University will conduct a State-level workshop on Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on 5th and 6th April, 2014. Following will be the composition of the participants of the workshop:

• Youth engaged in Farming

• Representatives of Youth Organisations

• University students

• Policy makers

• Farmers

• Researchers & Representatives from Non-Government Organisations.


According to the Census of 2011, the population of Tamil Nadu stands at 7.2 Crores. Though a rapidly urbanising state, 5o% of TN population still lives in villages. Also, half the population is also composed of youth less than 30 years of age. Hence, in order to ensure food security, agriculture and allied occupations need to be made intellectually and economically attractive for the younger generation to take it up.

With this in mind, farming and allied professions- animal husbandry, fisheries, agro-forestry, agroprocessing, agri-business-must be promoted aiming the youth.

The State government must launch programmes to enable youth to remain in villages and take up scientific agriculture. One such could be “Empowerment of Youth in Agriculture” which should help young male and female farmers to achieve sustainable income through just farming. There is enormous scope for strengthening service sectors in rural areas. Young, educated youth from different backgrounds must be organised and attracted towards farming.

Agricultural, veterinary, home science, engineering and commerce graduates could jointly organize Agricultural Transformation Centres in every block to bring about a technological up-gradation of farm operations and farming enterprises as well as to provide demand- driven services. Such centres will provide organic pest-proofing of villages and also perform value- addition services to primary produce. A meeting must be held with NABARD and the Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC) to design the Agricultural Transformation Centres by combining the ongoing programmes such as agri-clinics, agribusiness centres and SFAC.

Over the next two decades the agriculture sector in India is expected to undergo significant transformation which will provide more opportunities for young people, depending on who and where they are. In order to achieve food security, India must change from extensive production systems, characterized by minimal inputs and low yields to intensive systems which require


greater investments in external inputs and labour saving technologies, By holding the potential to greatly increase yields and provide decent incomes for young farmers now and in future.

The agriculture sector has the potential to provide numerous employment opportunities in food production, marketing, processing, retail, catering, and research and, input sales, among others. A strong commitment to youth development by Colleges of Agriculture would be a significant step towards redirecting required attention and commitment of resources needed to meet the goals of the colleges and the Indian agricultural industry.

EVERY FARMING YOUTH AS RISK MANAGERS (CRM)

The ‘Climate Risk Manager’ is a trained point person at the local level who has a good understanding of various facets related to weather and climate, particularly in assessing the kind of risks that a weather or climate event could impose, the nature of impacts on the local ecosystems and livelihoods. The CRM is expected to have knowledge of best practices that could be employed for various situations in relation to agriculture and water management in the local context. The CRM puts all this knowledge and training into practice to manage the risks and help the community in overcoming the risks to the best possible level.

VISION

• Establish baseline data on youth policies and initiatives currently in place in the case study countries.

• Identify gaps and opportunities for developing national youth and agriculture policies within agricultural sector and make appropriate policy decisions.

• Investigate the current participation level and coverage of rural and urban youth in agriculture and their perceptions towards the sector.

• Investigate and assess how the key institutions as well as current tools, and mechanisms and policy instruments available have mainstreamed the youth agenda.

• Profile investment opportunities for youth engagement in the agricultural value chains.

• Education, science, technology and environment, health and nutrition, social services, ecreation, sports and culture, youth participation and leadership and youth economic empowerment.

OPTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION

• Training youth in agricultural production using contemporary systems and modern information and communications technology.


• Provision of land and mining rights to youth and youth organizations to encourage socioeconomic development.

• Facilitation of access to credit to promote youth participation in agricultural projects,

• The centrality of education and skills development programmes for wealth creation, socioeconomic integration and empowerment.

• Enhancing the attractiveness of rural areas to young people by improving socio-economic infrastructure.

POVERTY ERADICATION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF YOUTH

Young people ought to be trained to take up agricultural, mineral, commercial and industrial production using contemporary systems and promote the benefits of

modern information and communication technology to gain access to existing and new markets. Access to credit should also be facilitated to promote youth participation in agricultural and other sustainable livelihood projects. Young farmers need to be turned into agricultural entrepreneurs who undertake agricultural and allied activities such as raising and marketing of crops fertilisers and other agricultural inputs of agriculture, dairy,

plantation, horticulture etc. They are envisioned to raise agricultural production through mechanization, irrigation and application of technologies.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE - MEASURES & RECOMMENDATIONS

• Capacity Building of youth – There is need for training and skill-building opportunities for young people that can mould them for active participation in decision-making processes.

• Engage youth actively -Youth must be recognised as major stakeholders and need a platform where their voices will be heard on issues that directly concern them.

• Link youth to planning and policy efforts. This can be accomplished by involving youth in the examination of existing policies as well as determining and evaluating potential policy alternatives

• Allow youth to identify their individual interests. Within the greater framework of agriculture policy making, youth may have expertise or interests in specific topics.

• Facilitation - Youth Communication, Advocacy and Networking. There is a need to guide youth in terms of how to communicate their challenges, ideas and experiences.


• Institutionalising Youth Policy Engagement at Primary – Secondary - University Levels – There is need to learn from other programmes that have been successful in engaging young people in different sectors.

Youth will be attracted to agriculture only if farming becomes economically rewarding and Intellectually stimulating. Appropriate policies need to be developed to make agriculture more attractive, profitable and a credible career to the youth through the application of appropriate and modern technologies. Hence this International Year of Family Farming is an excellent opportunity to improve the lives of millions of young farmers.

This can be done by creating at block levels, a farm school, and developing value chains. Appropriate policy support will help farmers to collaborate produce and market, and value addition to primary produce will fetch better income and export value.

The power of mass production, particularly in the post-harvest stage, can be conferred among the farmers with decentralised individual products by organising them through various channels. since most farm families operate in small holdings, there is a need for Farmers’ Organisations for attaining meaningful economy of scale. Producer Companies, Commodity Centred Associations, Youth Federations are possible examples of this kind of organisation.

Role of Young farmers, as both drivers and agents of change in agriculture needs to be recognized and emphasized. Greater emphases are needed for Young Farmers’ Access and Control over natural resources, mainly seeds, land, water, forests etc. Investments and policies for Building Capacities of youth farming communities and their organisations to improve their interaction with local, state and district levels markets have to be put in place.

Concurrent attention must be paid to small farm productivity improvement and producer – oriented marketing. Cadres composed of at least one man and one woman in every village as Community Hunger Fighters and Climate Risk Fighters must be established.

Agribusiness should form a part of curriculum in the agricultural colleges/universities, highlighting the application of relevant technology, success stories and the importance of youth federations and extension in agribusiness in the state. Transforming agriculture through Community College and Farmer’s Field School should be prioritized. Agriculture transformation will be achieved only through facilitating access of rural youth to agricultural activities. Waste lands have been assigned to youth farmers to establish a role model of agriculture field aiming to retain youth in agriculture, like pulses village and seed village and similarly community grain and seed bank. In order to recognise youth involved in the best practices of agriculture, accolades like Best Young Agriculturalist Award at each district-levels can be instituted to be distributed on National Youth Day (12th January) in the presence of Agriculture Department authorities.


PARTICIPANTS

PROGRAME SCHEDULE5.4.2014

10.00 am - 11.00 am Inaugural Session

Invocation

Welcome address Dr M Baskaran Seed officer, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Special Address Mr. Vincent Manohar Joint Director, Agril. Engg., Govt. of Tamil Nadu

Dr. Kezevino Aram Director, Shanti Ashram

Keynote Address Dr K Ramasamy Vice Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Vote of Thanks Dr N Parasuraman Principal Scientist, MSSRF

Name of the District

No. of Participants

Chennai 5Coimbatore 38Cuddalore 29Dharmapuri 6Dindigul 7Erode 6Kancheepuram 1Kanyakumari 38Madurai 18Nagapattinam 190Namakkal 122Perambalur 3Pudukottai 40

Name of the District

No. of Participants

Ramanathapuram 12Salem 10Thanjavur 60Theni 26Thiruchirapalli 10Thirunelveli 35Thiruvallur 9Thiruvannamalai 6Thiruvarur 3Vellor 1Virudhunagar 3Villupuram 7

Total 685


Coffee / Tea Break

11.30 am - 12.30 pm Parallel Session

Session : I - Role of Youth in National Resource Management and Agriculture

Chair: Mr. M.J. Prabu, The Hindu

* Dr K A Ponnusamy, DEE, TNAU* Mr. Vincent Manohar, Joint Director, Agril. Engg., Govt. of Tamil Nadu* Mr P P Saravanan, KVK, GRI* Dr M Baskaran, Seed officer, TNAU* Dr S R Subramanian, Shanti Ashram

Rapportiers : Mr Abubacker Siddick and TNAU Staff

12.30 pm - 1.30 pm

Session: II - Avenues of Extension: Steps to Refine and Retain Youth in Agriculture

Chair : Dr S R Subramanian, Shanti Ashram

* Ms Nancy J Anabel, MSSRF* Dr Vijayaraghavan, Special Officer, TNAU* Mr G Sither, Naturopath* Dr Geethalakshmi, TNAU* Mr N Parthasarathy, Senior Manager, AFD, Bank of India* Mr. Iqbal, Joint Director (Horticulture), Govt. of Tamil Nadu

Rapportiers: Ms T Aruna and Ms Vidya, Shanti Ashram

1.30 pm - 2.30 pm Lunch Break

2.30 pm – 5.00 pm Parallel Session

Session: III - Skill Mapping and Strategic Planning for Involving Youth in Agriculture: Discussion

Group – I

Moderator : Mr A Anand

Rapportiers : Mr Mubarakali and Ms.Eddolin

Group – II

Moderator : Dr ED Israel Oliver King

Rapportier : Dr S Velvizhi


Group –III

Moderator : Mr Rajkumar

Rapportier : Mr Abubacker Siddick

Group –IV

Moderator : Mr. K. Sathasivam, NYK

Rapportier : Mr. P. Dhanaraj

4.00 pm – 4.30 pm : Tea Break

6.4.2014

9.00 am to 10.00 am : Filed Visit to TNAU Farms

10.30 am – 11.30 am : Empowering Rural Youth in Agriculture

Chair : Dr. K. Ramasamy, TNAU

Special Address : Dr. B. K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

11.30 am - 12.00 noon : Tea break

12.00 to 1.30 pm : Skill and Strategic plan by youth farmers from groups

Chair : Dr. M. Chandraseakaran, Director (Planning & Monitoring),TNAU

* Mr.Arumugam

* Ms.Prema

* Mr.Vinoth

* Mr.Muthukumar

* Ms.Swetha

* Mr.Karuppiah

* Mr.Manikandan

* Mr.Prabakaran

* Mr.Sebasthiyar

* Mr.Kanthaswamy

1.30 pm - 2.30 pm : Lunch Break


2.30 pm to 4.00 pm : Valedictory Session

Invocation

Welcome address : Dr. C. Karthikeyan Professor, TNAU

Feedback : Mr. Arumugam Ms. Little flower

Special Addresses : Dr. Kezevino Aram Director, Shanthi Ashram

Mr. Vincent Manohar Joint Director, Agril. Engg., Govt. of Tamil Nadu

Dr. Ajay K. Parida Executive Director, MSSRF

Valedictory Address : Dr. K. Ramasamy Vice Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Vote of Thanks : Mr. A. Anand Scientist, MSSRF


MEDIA CLIPINGS


PHOTO GALLERY


PHOTO GALLERY

Workshop - Phase II

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Documents

Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture