Twenty-year-old V. Sundarapandi from Mettupatti near Alanganallur is a second year commerce student at Madurai Kamaraj University College here. What sets him apart from other students is that he is a part-time farmer.
“My father owns 50 cents of land in our village where jasmine is being cultivated. After returning home, I take care of agricultural activities in our field,” says Mr. Sundarapandi.
Gone are the days when youth shied away from taking up agriculture as a profession. Having tasted success in agriculture, most graduates in villages surrounding Alanganallur stand tall.
P. Vellai, a B.Sc (Mathematics) graduate from Yadava College, took up agriculture five years ago at Salvarpatti.
“Soon after graduation, I joined a private company where I was paid Rs. 3,000 per month. After a month, I quit the job and took fifty cents of land on lease. Today, I earn not less than Rs. 25,000 every month,” Mr. Vellai says.
As many as eight of his batch mates have taken up agriculture.
A. Gopi, a B.A. (History) graduate, who is into jasmine cultivation, says, “We have to migrate to the city to work in private companies. Without migrating for a meagre pay, we are able to earn a decent income in our village by taking up farming,” he also explains.
A post-graduate in Zoology, along with a B. Ed degree, T. Chidambaram cultivates jasmine and guava in his two-and-a-half-acre land. “I was offered a paltry salary in private schools. So I decided to become a full-time farmer,” he says.
Study on youthA study conducted by Dhan Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, in Alanganallur area indicates that more youth are taking up farming these days.
However, water scarcity, climate change and lack of training in better farm practices, are the major issues faced by young farmers.
“The youth confine themselves to traditional farming techniques. There is inadequate training facility for them,” notes Sai Saranya, a student of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, who conducted the study for the NGO.
IssuesB. Ramesh, a youth from Devaseri, says water scarcity is the major issue agriculturists face.
“With the monsoons failing us for the past two years, we are finding it very difficult. More youth are willing to become farmers, but the challenges are many,” he concludes.
