Rise of Young Blood in Agriculture

Introduction

2016 has emerged as a game-changing year in the history of permaculture. Known as the development of agricultural ecosystems in a sustainable and self-sufficient manner, permaculture saw a major shift with more people between the age group of 18 to 35 coming forward as compared to earlier times, when only old people participated in it. The youth have now decided to own the responsibility of converting barren land into forests by indulging in organic farming. They are working in the field of wildlife conservation as well and have started growing trees that bear fruits. There are numerous stories of young kids volunteering for this work and even putting their parents into nurturing the gardens where possible.

This trend has brought back the glamour in agriculture which seemed to have faded away. The youth of India are now thinking about not only becoming an entrepreneur but becoming agripreneur. Since youth have started realizing the importance of good food, the interest in modern methods of agriculture and cultivating improved crops have also grown. With youth returning to its roots and re-establishing its connection with nature, the demand for Agriculture courses is also growing.

The young generation is changing the face of Agriculture. Engineering and MBA graduates have also started shifting to agriculture - cultivating plants like stevia, bok-choy, drumsticks, radish, and broccoli amongst others. They are not shying away from experimenting with new things and introducing new technology in agriculture. Some take the help of online material to find their way around but many are inclined towards having formal knowledge of different agriculture systems.

There are many universities in India offering a range of courses including diplomas, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in agriculture. Unlike earlier times, now semi-urban and urban youth are also opting for these courses, breaking the stereotype that agricultural studies are for rural area students.

Teaching Agriculture at School Level

Many experts feel that students should be taught about agriculture from the school level. It is imperative that they understand the need to have qualified young minds engaging in agriculture and using innovative means to increase the quality and quantity of the yield. If agriculture as a subject is taught in schools, many urban children would get interested in it and may use their ideas to bring many unprecedented changes in the way agriculture is currently done. There is no dearth of inspiring stories where children have learned to plant trees and made it their career, earning a livelihood for their family out of organic farming or cash crops.

Birth of Farm Entrepreneurs

With new schemes introduced for farmers where they can get easy loans for farming, coupled with the fact that education in agriculture answers a lot of questions a young farmer has, farm entrepreneurs, or popularly known as agripreneurs, are coming into existence. Students studying agriculture earlier used to switch to other lucrative and secure careers but with awareness about good food as key for good health, students no longer leave this area of study and try to excel in this sphere by growing different crops. Technology is also helping them to find easy markets for their produce, thus more and more farm entrepreneurs are flourishing.

Higher Education in Agriculture – First step towards farm enterprise

Higher education provides hands-on training for growing different crops and teaches how to reduce the use of pesticides. This education plays a key role in making agriculture more popular amongst the youth. These degrees also ensure that students can opt for a career in agriculture with specialized knowledge to become a farmer or agripreneur. Higher education in agriculture also brings in a possibility to learn different methods of farming used globally. There are many agriculture colleges in MP, that provide quality education in this field.

What inspires young blood to opt for agriculture?

It is a known fact that semi-urban and urban youth are also opting for farming. Equally true is the fact that many young people are coming into the area of agriculture after graduating in Engineering, Management or other prestigious streams.

There are many reasons for this : -

• Nowadays, many renowned universities are offering higher education in agriculture making it interesting and easy for young people to enter the area.
• Qualified with diplomas or degrees, it is no longer only an area meant for the rural population.
• Qualified young students are able to bring in innovative methods of farming and technology is supporting such initiatives at every step.
• The young generation gets to know about the importance of good food through various means and is becoming aware that it is important to return to our roots and indulge in agriculture.
• With cash crops and better storage facilities, it has become lucrative to get into the business of agriculture.
• Various government schemes and loans make it easier to finance agricultural activities.
• The youth of today know their mind and are determined to achieve their goals; as a result, changes in the agricultural sector are seen every day, motivating more and more youngsters to join the queue.
• Education at a higher level opens global avenues for the upcoming farming population. They get to learn different yield-increasing techniques and sustainable development methods in the field.
• Different advertisement programs and awareness about the importance of farming are making young people opt for it as a career.
• Earlier, earnings were not assured and farmers were always at risk of debt traps; this is also taken care of by education and constant efforts of the government to provide a safe and fair market to the farmers.
• The present-day youth are aware that they can earn their livelihood from agriculture without any stress or financial issues.
• The work area of agriculture gives an opportunity to be your own boss rather than working under someone.
• It also inculcates decision-making and leadership qualities in the students/farmers.

The rise of youth in agriculture is dependent on multiple factors as stated above. It is amazing to see today’s youth being aware of the importance of agriculture. Youngsters are not only taking initiatives in this direction but making a career in agriculture.