Prepared by Dr.J.Meenambigai Assistant Professor Department of Agricultural Extension

2. FARM YOUTH : A CATALYST FOR
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Presented by
Dr. J. MEENAMBIGAI
Assistant Professor
Department of Agricultural Extension
Faculty of Agriculture
Annamalai University
Annamalainagar

3. INTRODUCTION
• India – 25% population – 15 and 29 age group – 2001 census
• 2 million young people unemployed every year
• Tenth plan period – unemployment increased from 2.8% to 5%
• Developing countries – Majority of the work force employed in
agriculture
• Youth – lack in come, lack a means of gaining respect and
sense of belonging, unable to find decent employment in rural
areas
• Revitalizing agriculture – Key to surmount rural poverty
• Challenge for agriculture – provide gainful employment and
better incomes.

4. Preparing Young people
Puvidham – Provide life education to tribal children
Children learn by doing
Learning farming is fun
Education and training for change
• Rural youth – Lack of opportunities – What to do for
earning their livelihoods
• High risk, high input agriculture being practiced with
unpredictable returns.
• Farming must be both intellectually satisfying and
economically rewarding – M.S. Swaminathan.
• Ecological farming – highly sustainable and rewarding.
• Training and HRD is crucial in bringing youth in to
sustainable farming.

5. • Baduku – Courses on “alternative livelihoods” – educating and
training them on the concept and practice of sustainable
agriculture.
• Training and guiding rural youth serve as sustainable
agriculture promoters in promoting eco-friendly practices.
• Promoting entrepreneurship another way of helping rural
youth.
Innovative Young Farmers
• Young farmers are disillusioned with farming as a livelihood
choice and motivated to be in farming.
• Young farmer in Karnataka says “Farm is a place where you
feel all your senses”.

6. Moving forward and making a difference
• Youth are the present and the future of nations.
• Well educated and trained population – potential for
economic and social development.
• Youth who are well organized, provided with appropriate
training, opportunities and incentives, engage in
enterprises that bring both economic and social benefits.
• Youth should be part of designing and implementing
programmes.

7. Youth as catalysts of sustainable agriculture
• For young people farming must be both intellectually
satisfying and economically rewarding.
• Farm operations should be technological and managerial
upgradation.
• National commission on farmers stressed the need for
attracting and retaining educated youth in farming.
• National policy for farmers – to introduce measures which
can help to attract and retain youth in farming and
processing of farm products for higher value addition by
making farming intellectually stimulating and economically
rewarding.

8. How can youth earn a decent living in villages and help to
shape the future of our agriculture?
• Improve the productivity and profitability through 4’c’
approach conservation, cultivation, consumption and
commerce.
• Enlarge the scope for the growth of agro processing,
agro-industries and agribusiness.
• Promote opportunities for the service sector.
Agri-clinics and agri-busines centre
• Provide the services needed during the production
phase, of farming
• Cater to the needs of farm families during the post –
harvest phase of agriculture.

9. Opportunities for young farmers
• Home science graduates – nutrition and food safety and
processing – food processing unit.
• Integrated centre – Agricultural Transformation centre
climate resilient agriculture needs attention.
• Young farmers can also help women SHGs to
manufacture and sell the biological software essential for
sustainable agriculture.
• Fisheries graduates – Promote both inland and marine
aquaculture.
• Establish village knowledge centre.
• Soil and water quality testing.

10. • Young farmers can organize mobile soil cum water
quality testing work.
• Farm health pass book – information on soil health,
water quality, crop and animal diseases.
• Young educated youth could help rural communities to
organize gene-seed – grain – water banks.
• Young farmers can also operate climate risk management
centres.

11. CONCLUSION