Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh has said that the biggest challenge for the agricultural sector is to make smallholdings profitable and engage rural youth in agriculture. Work is going on to provide small farmers distinct technological option so that they can choose as per the resources available to them.
It was informed that Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research, Meerut has developed 38 integrated farming systems for 23 states. In the current financial year, the government has sanctioned Rs. 3 crore for the exhibition of integrated farming in 100 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK). Each KVK will get Rs. 3 lakh and utilise the fund to train farmers so that they can adopt integrated farming model to increase their income.
The Minister said that agriculture education and agriculture research plays an important role in the growth of agriculture sector. In the last two years, Indian Agriculture Research Council (ICAR) has developed 441 improved species of food grains as well as horticulture crops and 13478 tonnes of genetic seeds of various crops. The institutes under ICAR have developed 53 agricultural equipment that will benefit farmers. ICAR has also registered nine new livestock and poultry species.
He said that the government has submitted a guideline for the establishment of Central Agriculture University to improve the quality of agriculture education. The Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University in Bihar has been elevated to the status of Central Agriculture University. Four new degree colleges have been established under Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University to promote farming in Bundelkhand region. Six new degree colleges have been set up under Central Agricultural University, Imphal in the Northeast region of the country. Financial aid has been given to the government of Andhra Pradesh to establish Agriculture University, while Telangana and Haryana state governments are given funds to set up horticulture universities. In the last two years goverment has sanctioned 40 percent extra funds for the agricultural universities in the states.
On the recommendations of the 5th Dean’s Committee, the curriculums of agriculture courses have been improvised. Last year all agriculture based graduation courses were altered into the professional one. To motivate students for higher education in agriculture, junior/senior scholarships and National Talent Scholarships have been increased. At the graduate level, it has been increased to Rs.2000 from Rs.1000 per month.
To encourage youth to participate in agriculture business, programme READY (Rural Entrepreneurship Awareness Development Yojana) has been initiated. Under this, the scholarship of Rs.1000 per month is increased to Rs.3000 per month. All the initiatives have led to a 17 percent increase in the admission into the colleges under ICAR.
