Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA) Scheme

Introduction:

• India is primarily an agricultural country where more than 50% of the population is involved in agricultural activities.
• However climatic changes, frequent drought and floods makes agriculture extremely risky.
• Youth are the primary productive human resource of socio-economic development.
• Youth minds are creative and they are capable of handling risk factors such as monsoon management, climatic change adaptation and poverty in an efficient way, using various technologies.
• But, the majority of the farmers don’t want their next generation to continue with their traditional profession, because of low income from agriculture and poor quality of life in rural areas.
• Head of National commission on farmers, scientist and father of India’s green revolution, M SSwaminathan, says “ The youth can be attracted to and retained in farming only if it becomes economically rewarding and intellectually satisfying”.
• Therefore the government has taken a number of steps like Farmers FIRST, Student READY, ARYA etc, to attract youth to enter into agricultural activities.

Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA):

• The new scheme ARYA has recently been launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICRA).
• This program is planned to be implemented through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK-Farm science centres) in 25 states of our country.
• Each KVK would train about 200 to 300 youth in taking up agriculture’s allied and supplementary activities such as poultry farming, dairying, fisheries, goat rearing, mushroom production and other similar activities which keep the rural youth attached to agriculture, either directly or indirectly.
• Finally, the trained young entrepreneurs would be assisted in preparing project reports for seeking bank loans.

ARYA in JHARKHAND:

• Raghubar Das, CM of Jharkhand has planned to launch ARYA scheme in the state.
• The main objective of the ARYA scheme will be to promote the green revolution in the state.
• Under the ARYA scheme, the state government will attract rural youth in agricultural activities by making them skilled and make the state self-dependent in agriculture.
• Under the scheme, Agriculture Technology Management and Training (ATMA) will provide training to the rural youth.
• From each village, 2 youths will be selected and trained on how to make proper use of barren and uncultivated land.

Activities performed by Trained Youth:

• Identify the barren land on respective villages and promote farmers to grow pulse on them.
• To promote farmers to grow something else after harvesting paddy.
• To inspire farmers to use fertilisers as per Soil Health Card.
• To propagate the use of neem coated urea. 
• To promote farmers for agriculture of rabbi.
• To inspire farmers for Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme.
• To register farmers on Farmer Portal.
• To provide farmers new technology by telephoning Kisan Call Center.
• To promote seed treatment.

AMATHON -2016:

• The AMATHON was a three-day International Agricultural Trade Summit, held at IIM Ahmedabad from 15 to 17 , in the month of January 2016.
• Agricultural Minister, Radha Mohan Singh said the following while addressing the AMATHON, 

1. Agriculture is being developed as one of the sustainable occupation and profitable by increasing its production, entrepreneurship, and crop innovations.
2. According to National Sample Survey, approximately 90 % farmers possess agricultural land less than 2 hectares, out of which 42% farmers have taken loans from banks and 26% are still dependent on money lenders.
3. Due to unpredictable climatic changes and lack of decent prices for farm producers, farmers are in the stressful situation and rural youths are not taking interest in farming.
4. So, Government has launched various schemes for agriculture development.

Advantages:

• Improves Agro- productivity in the country.
• Controls rural migration of Youth.
• Income of rural youth become sustainable and meaningful.
• Develops service sector in the rural area.
• Business and Entrepreneurial skills of youth get developed.

Disadvantage:

• Youth would remain confined to rural areas.

Conclusion:

• Agriculture is the backbone of India.
• ARYA scheme has all the potential to keep the educated youth within the rural areas.
• However, its success depends upon the improvement in the quality life of the rural area.

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