The Hindu Business Line : Catch farm entrepreneurs young: Plan panel advisor

‘The under-graduate curriculum syllabi of the Agricultural University should cover entrepreneurial modules, financial management and business development programmes.’

Our Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct. 30 Every State in India should mould 1,000 entrepreneurs in each district by providing technical, credit and handholding support in order to promote entrepreneurship on farms.

Entrepreneurship development can be catalysed by “catching ’em young”, said Dr V.V. Sadamate, Advisor (Agriculture) with Planning Commission, while delivering the presidential address at a two-day national seminar organised recently by the Chakkala Community Association of India (CCAI), an NGO based here.

The seminar was sponsored by the Planning Commission and co-organised by the College of Agriculture, Vellayani.

CORE AREAS

Dr Sadamate gave stress to three core areas, viz. plan support for the agriculture sector; current agricultural scenario and entrepreneurship promotion efforts.

Agriculture and allied sectors have been adequately supported in the Eleventh Plan with an outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore against the Rs 20,000 crore in the previous Plan.

With matching contributions of Rs 50,000 crore each from the State and the private sector, the outlay available for these sectors in the 11th Plan would add up to Rs 2 lakh crore.

The National Food Security Mission, the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY), the National Horticulture Mission, the National Project for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding and the National Fisheries Development Board are the key programmes of the Government for achieving targeted growth in the agriculture sector.

Technology delivery in the RKVY is very weak, which needs to be addressed adequately. The impact of climate change and drought too has to be mitigated in this context.

Dr Sadamate also stressed the growth possibilities in horticulture and organic agricultural food processing sectors. Microbiological and biotechnological sectors need to be considered as frontline areas.

NEED OF HOUR

In his speech, Dr K. Harikrishnan Nair, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, remarked that entrepreneurship development is the need of the hour if we were to stimulate the farm sector. ‘Entrepreneurship’ would be a challenging option before the outgoing students of the Agriculture College as well.

The under-graduate curriculum syllabi of the Agricultural University should cover entrepreneurial modules, financial management and business development programmes so that students can eventually become successful entrepreneurs.

Earlier, Mr K.R. Viswambaran, Vice-Chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University, inaugurated the seminar. In his address, he emphasised the need for improving the productivity of major crops of the State. The universities have to play a significant role to promote entrepreneurship development and ensure speedy development of State’s economy.

The research results and technologies generated by the University have to reach the prospective entrepreneurs so as to provide the required boost to entrepreneurship development.

Dr A. Anilkumar, Executive Committee Member, Kerala Agriculture University, emphasised the prospects of entrepreneurship development in the context of socio-economic premise. Dr K. Prathapan, Mission Director, State Horticulture Mission (SHM), Kerala, observed that that the horticulture sector could provide ample opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.

FARM INCOMES

SHM has programmes to provide financial assistance to entrepreneurs to enhance productivity and augment their on-farm and off-farms incomes.

Mr G.S. Menon, Chief General Manager, Nabard (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), in his felicitation address, spoke about the thrust given for entrepreneurship development.

He stressed the need to bring back people to agriculture and enhance the entrepreneurial ability of the youth of the country through schemes such as agri-business clinics.

Ms P.S. Geethakutty, Director, Centre for Women Studies, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, added that the role of entrepreneurship development among women as the best form of women empowerment.

Lack of market, business management skills, land and quality input are the reasons for failure of entrepreneurship development. She also suggested that the support of local stakeholders is very essential in this context.

The seminar was organised in the campus of College of Agriculture, Vellayani, and was attended by many State and Government functionaries, NGOs, entrepreneurs and students of the College of Agriculture.

Welcoming the gathering, Mr Ranganathan, President, CCAI, said that entrepreneurship development has enormous potential in agriculture and allied sectors, especially in Kerala, which is endowed with abundant natural resources.

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