He has influenced 30,000 working professionals to leave cushy jobs and take up farming as a career. S. Jegan Karuppiah, a soft-spoken scientist at M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), has played a pivotal role in shaping the ‘Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture’ (ARYA) programme, MSSRF’s nationwide initiative.
As part of this programme, workshops are conducted at the regional level in Tamil Nadu. Professionals with expertise in technology are given hands-on training in agriculture and farming (Veterinary Farming).
“Around 10 per cent of the farmers, who are mostly computer techies, engineers or professionals from various other fields, practise farming, while they continue with their jobs. They either cultivate crops on their own, or do it along with their friends. The ‘farmers’ come from both a rural and an urban milieu. A few of them have studied and worked abroad before taking up agriculture-related ventures,” says S. Jegan Karuppiah.
These new-age farmers use their areas of expertise to maximise input. “They are trained to think analytically and adapt to the latest technology. Moreover, they are good at climate risk management, monsoon management, climate change adaptation, and mitigation. They are happy to serve the nation,” he points out.
The Foundation also gives them a training manual which guides them through land preparation, harvesting crops, market rates, and information-communication technology, where advisory voice and text bulletins on government schemes and subsidies, climate, wind speed and rainfall are issued at regular intervals.
They also have a 24-hour helpline (9677759545, 9677759549).
They encourage these amateur farmers to interact with veteran farmers. We also arrange field visits and give hands-on training.
The farmers are encouraged to practise organic and inorganic farming depending on the soil conditions. “The two-day training programme for the new farmers includes capacity building, technical output and experts discussion. We (MSSRF) create a link between the farmers and markets. We also give guidance on exporting crops and on applying export licences’, he says.
Moreover, we encourage the farmers to practise integrated farming (veterinary farming), which will help in producing fertilisers for crops. They are taken on a field-visit to the model integrated farm, where they learn everything about profitable farming.
“Till date, we have conducted training programmes at regional level with the support of the State Agriculture Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. Soon, we are going to conduct district training programmes in Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Theni, Dindgul, and Pudhukottai on a pilot basis. The State Agriculture Department has given the permission to conduct the programme in five districts,” he says.
Apart from this, the Foundation awards 10 best youth farmers every year for various achievements, including managing maximum yield and and also motivating others to take up agriculture.
The programme is conducted under the leadership of M. S. Swaminathan and Dr. N. Parasuraman, principal scientist, MSSRF.
For details, contact Youth and Development Wing, MSSRF, at 91-44-2254-1229, 2791.
