It was the strength of agricultural sciences and technology adoptions by the farmers that India achieved Green Revolution in the 1960s and subsequently the Yellow, White and Blue Revolutions
How can we improve the conditions in agri-horticultural productivity?
India is famous for agri-horticultural farming in the world, although burdened with more than 17 percent of the population of world with mere 2.4 percent share of land and 4.2 percent of freshwater. India has diverse agro-climatic conditions, making it possible to grow an enormous variety of fruit and vegetables in the country. Agricultural production is an important contributor to Indian economy and provides nearly 55 percent of the country‘s employment. It was the strength of agricultural sciences and technology adoptions by the farmers that India achieved Green Revolution in the 1960s & subsequently the Yellow, White and Blue Revolutions. With the burgeoning population, already nearing that of China, the environment issues, resource constraints, decreasing farm sizes, income and employment deficits, there are new and urgent challenges to be addressed.
How can we improve employability in agri-sector?
Agriculture is the key to creating jobs in India’s largely informal economy. The ecosystem has changed rapidly and we believe entrepreneurs are the key drivers of innovations and are essential to creating a booming economy. Factors which can help in improving the sector are easy access to technology, emergence of micro financing, liberalized government rules, dissemination of technical knowledge, awareness and training programmes on agriculture and allied sectors and finally changing mindset of the highly qualified people to go for self-employment in the field of agriculture.
In what ways can we inculcate entrepreneurial skills in this sector?
Entrepreneurial skills within the farmers can be improved through training programmes, designed in such ways that are related to the competency needs of farmers. Equipping the farmers with knowledge and skills in analyzing the strong and weak points of their enterprises as well as the threats and opportunities in the business environment, and developing competencies related to strategic planning will also be very useful. Knowledge driven farming and agri-business systems will need well trained and oriented graduates in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, farm-engineering and agribusiness sectors. With open international marketing systems, mechanization, emerging new technologies and equipment, there is increasing necessity of trainers and trained manpower and upgradation of skills, hence vast employment opportunities.
