Attracting youth in to agriculture:-Sustainable way to food security and improving agriculture

Attracting youth in to agriculture:-Sustainable way to food security and improving agriculture

Bibhu Prasad Mohanty

State Head - Odisha

Indian Society Of Agribusiness Professionals

Backdrop

In 2003, while addressing a state level seminar I raised concern over retaining and engaging youth in agriculture. Some of the very highly talented learned audiences raised several concerns and supported me equivocally. I remember in 'Prison Diary' of Sri Aurobindo, the great philosopher, poet and political seer of India, in 1905, wrote about collaboration between educated youth along with unlettered peasantry community in agriculture and allied activities for peace and prosperity of this country. My mother, who is no more now, explained me this when I was 8yrs old. Again the same has been echoed in 2006 by my Guru Prof. Dr. M.S.Swaminathan , the chief architect of Green Revolution in India (CONSULTATION ON ATTRACTING AND RETAINING YOUTH IN FARMING HELD ON 28 TH MAY, 2006 at New Delhi – SUMMING-UP BY PROF M.S. SWAMINATHAN, CHAIRMAN, NCF).

Since my prime youth my personal effort remained to attract youth to make agriculture a main stream activities. As I was from a joint family without much land property which was lacking capital always got into serving different organisations for the livelihood. I have seen the days , even today, a man employed in an organisation (NGO/Corporate/Govt) is much dignified than a farmer with heavy land property and good production systems, even with good income than a doctor and engineer or MBA educated person. That might be the reason why may parents also wanted me to be employed some where and live a life of dignity. Although I do not have any landed property , fortunately I have friends those have landed property and consult me in their agriculture activities. I believe clarity on low cost drudgery free appropriate technology, good knowledge and understanding about climate, agri-inputs, application of appropriate genetic science & seed technologies, knowledge of labour dynamics, financial support system along with risks and insurance etc can make a person very comfortable in agriculture. Agriculture professionals are not in farming for so many reasons. They have got academic knowledge which are required to become big officers who can only talk about agriculture but can not put their sweat into it. They are mostly seating in A/C rooms and seldom get into active agriculture.

Present market is conducive to attract youth into agriculture

When I see the price of beans in village to city market is Rs.80/- per kg and steel kg is fluctuating from Rs.50/- to 60/- it raises so many questions and feelings in my mind. Therefore this is a time I feel when educated youth must come up to get into agriculture and allied activities. One of my close friends Mr. Biraja Mohapatra a thinker and dreamer of same fraternity I belong to always consoles me whenever I get upset over the fact of youth leaving agriculture. He says very soon people will realise your concern.

I think the time has come people must have realised. It has come to notice that every day at least 2000 youth are leaving agriculture across the globe. Youth leaving agriculture is a world wide phenomenon. 65% of total investment of nations in this world goes to war and defence sector. That is the reason why entire world has been war mood and competitions. World consciousness itself is not ready to go for peace and prosperity . Therefore in allover the world people witness so many turmoils and differences or uproars in respective parliaments and borders. People speak about peace while connect with religion. People talk about peace and prosperity and attract towards power & sex. People speak on great future and attract youngsters into extremism.

The Challenges

Unfortunately our bureaucracy is yet to understand that they are educated mass who are trained to think and act differently , systematically and sincerely. Many of them are owners of poor attitude , narrowness, selfish interest and silly minds. These negative resources are so heavy that their consciousness always drag their life to shrink into conflicts and confusions. It is a fact that eventually their identity get into oblivion. They can not make the greater interests achieved because they have no capacity to carry the force with them. They are burdens and parasites who are born to play their role to make the things delayed and prolong the time of achievement so that the perfection can carry more detail experiences and long term effects.

Present conditions of lethargic bureaucracy, attitude, mindset, physical status, financial complexities, knowledge confusions, market conflicts , political turmoils, immature shortsighted leaderships, rampant corruption, slow judiciary system, confused education policy, so many unrest in public youngsters are grown into an environment when they themselves search for directions. They find themselves in a poor state of affairs and society demands morality , obedience and loyalty towards law. religion, cult , family and community etc. Youth is already a group of people those who have no peace of mind and trying to run and only run without even knowing their direction.

Present complex banking and insurance in agriculture and allied activities are going very tough and stringent. People in these two areas are mostly very clever and wish quick money back. But agriculture and agribusiness are not matching the expectation of so called financial institutions. Quick return of the loan is not possible in case of agriculture sector. But banks usually create pressure for quick recovery of advances. That is the major reason of increasing cases of suicide in India. Purposefully and strategically these two financial support institutions keep distance from agriculture and their information on the schemes are very weak and processes of financing and insurance are very complex. Therefore moneyed people and big farmers take the benefit under several policy nexus.

Our education policy is trying o focus on creating specialists who have low sensibility with high focus on mechanical life style and become money making machines. After certain time they also realise that their effort of making money is too limited. They are trained to make limited money through out their life. Also they are restricted to certain thought process that always make them afraid of loss and uncertainty. They become habitual to certain life style which put them into a status that never never allows them to think beyond. Illusion of making money, living in all luxuries are mostly considered as great and higher life . They never get the opportunity taste the abundant contribution of nature, its vastness in length and height. They remain dissatisfied till their end. They suffer from jealousy, competition, greed, anger, vanity, fear and so many negative emotions. Indian Subcontinent has been preaching ' Sa Vidya Ya Bimuktaye '.It says, that is knowledge what liberates a person from all the negative emotions and thoughts. Liberation from negativity is the only aim that ensures joy. Agriculture is told a way of 'tapasya', penance to gain salvation, by great political philosopher none other than Chanakya. Today there has been demand for skilled people. Education has been into skill development only which changes as the condition and technology change. There has been very rare effort on liberation of mind and heart from confusion, conflicts, negative feelings which would make a person calm and real ready container to become highly wise and proficiently skilled to meet the daily requirements with future prospects.

Suggestions and Solutions

Therefore it is a call fr youth to get into scientific agriculture and allied activities without affecting nature and life, which will make future people to live with peace and prosperity. Agriculture, agribusiness, food processing, fishery, poultry, diary , animal husbandry, renewable energy , biomass energy and waste management are the areas of vocations of great prospects.

Role of Govt and NGOs

Govt has to become sure of its drive towards agri based activities in the country. Investments should be on future young people which is missing in all over the world. As a democratic nation we must have to make democracy a culture . Agriculture is the only vocation in Indian subcontinent which has all the possibilities to bring real and effective democracy into effect. There should be systematic well orchestrated projects and programs for youth to be in agriculture. Our youth are now educated and they are mostly not trained on agriculture. They are exposed to labour intensive agriculture. They have very less idea about small machines tools and technologies which can make agriculture very easier and profitable. Thus they can live a comfortable and maintain lavish life style like urban employed people.

Role of banking and Insurance sector

To bring youth into agriculture there is a need to understand the requirement of finance and insurance in scientific and systematic manner. No universal formula and superficial observation can solve the financial issues in agriculture sector. Officers in banking and insurance sector those who are involved in financing farm families should also act as advisors to their customers and suggest right methods, provide appropriate suggestions on reducing labour and introducing low cost machines and tools so that farmers can benefit from agriculture. Banks should also engage social workers, sociologists and psychologists to counsel farmers on right adaption and exposures on machines, tools, technologies those can help them in enhancing the crop yield and marketing of those.

Introducing and upgrading right technologies

Today the education system has very weak input on agriculture and various food processing activities . This is one of the important reasons Indian agriculture is suffering . To make it interesting low labor intensive, farmer friendly and profitable, there is a need to popularise agriculture in a modern way. Following approaches can definitely make a great change.

1. Awareness to homestead nutri gardens (farms), backyard poultry with high egg yielding breeds, dairy and fish ponds be initiated; the relevant emphasis should be on nutrient dense vegetables like the green leafy vegetables, beans etc. and fruits rich in vitamin C and beta carotene. To ensure such nutri produce with safe & high yield varieties, provisions for good quality seeds be made and planting material (saplings), organic methods like Vermi compost, organic pesticides and water harvesting/ water saving methods need to be introduced.
2. Introducing machines

• Transplanters manual and power operated,
• Work place for tractors and self propelled equipment ,
• Chaff cutter, drudgery free tools and equipments and methods
• Devices for load carrying Improved tools and equipment available for following operations need to be promoted on a large scale Seeding (Maize dibblers, Direct rice seeders),Transplanting of rice (Rice transplanter),Weeding in uplands (Wheel hoes, long handled weeders) Weeding in wetlands (Cono weeder),Harvesting of Wheat and rice (Improved sickle),Maize dehusking and shelling (maize shellers, maize dehusker shellers) Grain cleaning (hand winnowers, Hanging type grain cleaner, pedal cum power operated grain cleaner),Groundnut decortication (sitting type groundnut decorticator),Threshing of paddy (pedal operated paddy thresher, power operated hold on type paddy thresher).Demonstration of ergonomically improved tools and equipment.

3. Awareness to create local grain and processed or semi processed storage facilities
4. Managing the waste of foodstuff, grains, dairy products etc
5. Value addition in processed food
6. Awareness on safety measures in farm field. Skill development about operating farm equipments .
7. Safety awareness programs on tractors and other agricultural machines.
8. Training programs with demonstrations of women friendly and youth attrctng tools and equipment.
9. Fundamentals of packaging -covering following topics

• Importance of Packaging, History of Package Development, Packaging materials, Paper, jute bag,plastic bags, glass containers etc .
• Characteristics of basic packaging materials: Paper (paper board, corrugated paper, fiber board), Glass, Metal, Plastics, Foils and laminates, retort pouches, Package forms,
• Legal requirements of packaging materials and product information in relation to dairy products and delicate food stuffs.
• Packaging of milk and dairy products such as pasteurized milk, UHT-sterilized milk, aseptic packaging, fat rich products-ghee and butter, coagulated and desiccated indigenous dairy products and their sweet meades, concentrated and dried milks including baby foods. Modern Packaging Techniques; Vacuum Packaging, Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP),
• Eco-friendly packaging, Principles and methods of package sterilization, Coding and Labelling of Food packages, Aseptic Packaging (AP), Scope of AP and pre-requisite conditions for AP
• Description of equipments (including aseptic tank) and machines- Micro-processor controlled systems employed for AP, Package conditions and quality assurance aspects of AP, Microbiological aspects of packaging materials. Disposal of waste package materials, Packaging Systems.

10. Safety gadgets

• for chaff cutters and sugarcane crushers
• Safety cover for pedal operated paddy thresher
• use of Gumboots, gloves ,caps etc
• Belt and chain type conveyor feeding system for high capacity thresher
• A tractor trailer with brakes and other safety features
• Lighting system with turning indicators for tractor trailers
• A safety cover for well/ tube well
• Safety measures to be taken in handling insecticides and pesticides and related machines and equipments. Demonstration of spraying safety kits (face mask, eye goggles, aprons, field caps, hand gloves and gum boot) to farmers to get feed back and reducing exposure to chemicals.

11. Design and operational parameters, performance evaluation and maintenance aspects of different renewable technologies like gasifiers, biogas plants, solar passive heating devices, photovoltaic cells and arrays, briquetting machines and balers; bio-diesel utilization in CI engines.
12. Switching over to horticultural production, profit, meeting market demand,supply and networking
13. Orchid for food, for ornamental and decoration purpose and their industrial supply
14. Fish production, market, supply, storage, networking
15. Lac production and making farmers rich through meeting industrial need
16. Forestry based profitable projects and market linkage of rawand processed stuff
17. Market behaviour and accounting
18. Understanding demands and managing the supplies to market
19. Using ICT, Gyan Chaupal, Village Knowledge centre exclusively for youth
20. Gender behaviour on equipment and tools (usually men feel women can not manage modern equipments, machines and processes)
21. Encouraging learning and teaching through and of ICT use of mobile phones, Internet, use of vernacular language in ICT and soon.

These efforts must be brought in well planned schemes and projects at grassrots level. Let them feel elevated and confident. Their low feelings or comparative feeling with urban educated mass must be removed. They should also feel elevated and liberated .