Dr. Saravanan Raj is a Director (Agricultural Extension) at the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, India. Course director for organizing training programmes on e-Extension, mExtension, Agricultural Innovation Systems and Agro-tourism, and also workshop for the capacity development of extension professionals. Has specialization in the area of ICTs for agricultural extension, social media, extension reforms, privatization, institutional pluralism and innovations, and related policy issues. His publications include four books on “Agricultural Extension: Worldwide Innovations” (2008) and “ICTs for Agricultural Extension: Global Experiments, Innovations and Experiences” (2010), ICT for Agriculture and Rural Development (2011), Mobile Phone for Agricultural Extension: Worldwide mAgri Innovations and Promise for Future (2014) and 45 articles in the referred scientific international and national journals, books and proceedings.
Urban population has outnumbered the rural with 54.29 per cent (3.9 billion) share globally in 20... more Urban population has outnumbered the rural with 54.29 per cent (3.9 billion) share globally in 2016. Urbanisation is one of the crucial drivers of the transformation in the world, be it educational development, economic growth, employment creation, development of service sectors and so forth. However, the unprecedented paradigm shift in population from rural to urban has led to a concern as to how to ensure the food and nutritional security and food availability of the booming urban inhabitants. Besides, the unplanned developmental undertakings in urban areas have jeopardized the cityscape and ruined the urban ecosystem owing to inevitable growth of industries, factories and a lot of chemical plants in and around the cityscape. In this backdrop, with the intention of restoring the ruining urban environ, there are several ambitious programmes such as planting of trees, promotion of green parks, carbon emission control measures etc., have been implemented by the government, Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs), different organizations and institutions across the cities. Of these programmes urban farming has also been seen as the saviour of urban future. Urban farming is a novel initiative which has been encouraged across urban areas so as to re-create urban areas as clean, green and sustainable in the near future. According to the FAO report, urban garden lands are 15 times more productive than the rural holdings and further, the study noted that one square meter of urban farm is capable of producing 36 heads of lettuce every 60 days, 10 cabbages every 90 days and 100 onions every 120 days. Moreover, urban farming is capable of bolstering more social and political inclusion, sustainability in environment, economic progress, and unified water and land policies. Urban farming also paves a way to nutritional security of the population and assures the access to daily sustenance. Another report of FAO articulates that, of the 54.29 per cent of the urban population, 10.66 per cent of (0.8 billion) of the population is found to be involved in urban farming and believed to have produced one-fifth (1/5th) of the world food production. In this context, numerous research studies have been carried out across the urban areas to explore as to how the farming in urban areas meets the food and nutritional security along with its impact on urban ecosystem and cityscape. However, there have been a dearth of information on good practices and approaches followed in urban farming. And there is a lack of documentation on the novel practices which were invented and initiated by the urbanites who have been involving in urban farming for years from now.
The study “Climate Smart Agriculture Towards a Triple Win: Adaptation, Mitigation and Food Securi... more The study “Climate Smart Agriculture Towards a Triple Win: Adaptation, Mitigation and Food Security” was undertaken with the objectives to get a comprehensive assay of all the stakeholders involved in climate smart agriculture programmes and the assessment of barriers and incentives while adopting climate smart agricultural practices by all the stakeholders involved. The research was taken up in the vulnerable districts, Hamirpur and Bilaspur of Himachal Pradesh where different stakeholders consisted the sample size, identified through snowball sampling. A semi-structured interview schedule was prepared for stakeholder mapping and analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) programmes viz., National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Project (HPCDP) have been identified in the selected districts in which state agriculture university, state department of agriculture and other line departments, Zonal Research Stations (ZRS), soil conservation wing, soil testing labs, development officers, agricultural extension officers (AEOs), Krishak Vikas Associations (KVAs), farmers, groups, input dealers and traders, selfhelp groups and the farmers have been collaboratively working under these programmes. Different extension activities viz., demonstrations and trainings have been organized at village level and institutional level on natural resource management, crop production, integrated pest management, livestock production etc., to make farmers more climate smart. On mapping of the stakeholders based on their power and interest, it was found that state department of agriculture and other line departments, development officers at district level and research organisations had high power and low interest while the stakeholders at block (AEOs and KVAs) and village level (SHGs and farmers) were categorized with low power and high interest. From relational analysis of the stakeholders by actor-linkage matrix, it was revealed that the farmers and state departments have weak collaboration with input dealers. Various agro-advisories and weather forecasting messages have been given to the beneficiaries through mkisan portal, personal contact method, mass media, etc. Inaccessibility to good quality inputs, lack of space on the small land holdings for installing water harvesting structures and micro irrigation projects, lack of marketing facilities, lack of access to credit facilities were identified as the major barriers, while success stories and best farmer awards were identified as incentives.
Global population is projected to reach 9 billion by 2050 and the number of young people (aged 15... more Global population is projected to reach 9 billion by 2050 and the number of young people (aged 15 to 24) is also expected to increase to 1.3 billion, accounting for almost 14 percent of the projected global population. Most born in the developing countries of Africa and Asia, where more than half the population still live in rural areas. India is expected to have 34.33 per cent share of youth in the total population by 2020, which is a huge reserve of human resource and potential. In this backdrop, this study was conducted in Kanpur and Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh State of India selected purposively. A total number of 80 respondents were selected through random sampling from eight sample village panchayats. Data was collected through personal interview with a semi-structured schedule from farming and non-farming youth. Percentage, cumulative frequency and rank were used for calculation and drawing the inferences. Present scenario shows that the agriculture needs that the young work force so involvement of the Youth in agriculture is must, reason behind that the majority of the farmers in Indian context are more than 35 years and they are not able to adopt new technologies and methods of practices due to lack of education and awareness. Most of the farmers preferred traditional methods of farming and were not aware of improved methods. The major problem faced by the farming youth were ‘lack of training programme’ and one another problem faced by the farming and non-farming youth were lack of timely guidance by the Rural Agricultural Extension Officer and Agriculture Development Officers and they suggested involvement of the youth in policy making. Majority (50%) of the farming youths agreed that social media is very helpful to getting new information related to farming, and it saves the time and money (32.50%). All the farming and non-farming youth were involved in religious groups. Majority of the farming youth (65%) and non-farming youth (22.50%) knew about Krishi Rin Mochan Yojna. Farming and non-farming youth’s awareness level about the programme/ policy related to the youth and agriculture were very low; adoption of the policy or programme was also very low due to the lack of awareness and level of education. So there is need to improve the education level and awareness level of the youths through the training and educative programme. Majority (47.50%) of the farming youths were agreed with Social media is very helpful to getting new information related to farming.
Security (Food and Human) is one of the major challenges confronting the world today. Food securi... more Security (Food and Human) is one of the major challenges confronting the world today. Food security, along with poverty eradication and ecological conservation, is one of the most significant elements of the millennium development goals. Food Security is pedestal on three essential pillars of Food availability on a consistent basis, Food access for appropriate nutritious diet and Food use for basic nutrition and care as well as adequate water and sanitation. Nutrition is a basic human need and a prerequisite to a healthy life. A proper diet is essential from the very early stages of life for proper growth, development and to remain active. Food consumption mainly depends on production and distribution, determines health and nutrition of the population. An important part of the nutrition gap is the information gap. Lack of knowledge is one of the major causes for poor nutrition among the people. Under nutrition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, obesity and dietrelated chronic diseases exist side by side in many countries. Whether food supplies are scarce or abundant, it is essential that people know how best to make use of their resources to ensure nutritional wellbeing. To be adequately nourished, individuals need to have access to sufficient and good quality food and they need an understanding of what constitutes a good diet for health, as well as the skills and motivation to make good food choices. Awareness level of men and women about food and nutrition is different. They attain information from different sources. Nutrition education is a major source of information about nutrition. It helps to promote access to a variety of nutritious food, increase knowledge of the nutritional value of foods and develop personal skills and motivation to adopt healthy eating practices.
With the changing global scenario and changing pattern of the agriculture extension professionals... more With the changing global scenario and changing pattern of the agriculture extension professionals need to brace up with the new and required competencies. Among agriculture and allied sectors livestock sector is facing new challenges in terms of the production, adaptation, stress and occurrence of emerging and re-emerging diseases. The study to access the core competencies of livestock extension professionals was taken in the Kashmir division of Jammu And Kashmir State. Data was collected through an unstructured questionnaire from middle and low level livestock extension professionals. The competent livestock extension professionals are much needed resource of the hour. But currently the scenario of the livestock extension departments and the professionals is not much impressive. The contacts of the livestock extension professionals with livestock related agencies, flow of information and linkage with livestock related agencies was found to be not enough as per the requirements. The infrastructure facilities, medicines and vaccine availability were not found to be adequate. The core competencies that are crucial for the job of livestock professionals are not very effective. Though professionals understand the importance of having the competencies related to animal welfare, treatment, prevention, diversity, programme planning and evaluation but the knowledge and skill regarding the same are low. The middle level extension functionaries (Veterinarians) are having higher competencies than the lower level (Para-vets) due to well-known reasons of pre-service training, in-service training, more experience and understanding of the subject etc. The appropriate ways to acquire the core competencies in livestock extension professionals were recognized as good pre-service training, in-service training through various Animal husbandry departments, Veterinary colleges, ICAR institutes, Extension Education institutes etc. The current challenges in the livestock extension professionals can only be solved when there is better collaboration and coordination between the field, research labs and with other extension agencies. This will help in increasing the livestock service competencies, risk analysis competencies and programme planning competencies.
Agriculture is the backbone of our country. Though its contribution to GDP is just around 14 perc... more Agriculture is the backbone of our country. Though its contribution to GDP is just around 14 percent, over half of our country’s population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods. The risingfood prices have pushed people back into poverty. The growing global population, expected to hit 9 billion by 2050, has heightened the demand for food and placedpressure on alreadyfragile resources. Feeding that population will require a 70 per cent increase in food production.Agriculture faces a range of modern and serious challenges, particularly in developing countries exposed to price shocks, climate change, and continued deficiencies in infrastructure in rural areas. It is in this context that ICTs play a crucial role in helping people meet the demand for increased food production. ICTs can play a very crucial role by disseminating information to farmers to help them make better well informed decisions. Through ICTs people can obtain the latest up-to-date information, learn and practice sustainable farming. It is in this regard that seven case studies have been documented in this report to understand the various unique pathways through which ICTs can play a crucial role in promoting agricultural development.
The startups are an exemplar that great things are done by a series of small things brought toget... more The startups are an exemplar that great things are done by a series of small things brought together. Taking one small step at a time, moving from one problem to another and solving the issues by disruptive innovation is what these startups are trying to achieve. The startups are not only creating new jobs which means more employment but are also leaving a ripple effect on the socio-economic fabric of the demography in which they are operating. The world has become a playfield for these young entrepreneurs as the global startup revolution continues to grow. Underneath this continued growth, fundamental shifts are occurring. The fuel that incited the first and second generation startup revolution have started to decline and a new third wave is taking over the world stage. The era of social apps, digital media and pure internet companies which were part of first and second generation revolution are being taken over by sectors viz. FinTech, CleanTech, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, etc. This change is not only limited to sectors but is also shaking things geographically too. The dominance of West viz. Silicon Valley and USA is witnessing a decline and the East with leaders like China and India is on the rise. With this rise, India has become the third largest startup ecosystem hub. India is home to highest number of unicorn startups after US and China with 26 unicorns out of 250+ total unicorns globally. At a time where with the increasing population and demand for better quality and higher quantity of food is required, the performance pressure on farms are increasing. Agritech startups are such a relevant solution across the agricultural value chain and they can be in the form of a product, a service or an application. There is a decent growth of startups in the country which needs a strong push if we want the agri sector to flourish. India has already built a strong name for itself in the global startup community. It’s time to make agritech startups successful and propel India forward as a leader in the agri technology sector too.
Social media has changed the landscape of global development. Worldwide, it is not just shaping c... more Social media has changed the landscape of global development. Worldwide, it is not just shaping communication but also the future, by influencing opinions and mobilizing masses. This digital communication method has become an inseparable part of everyday life. With increased popularity, it has become the most used medium for business and development sectors alike. This popularity though, is yet to reach a mass scale in agriculture all over the world and beyond the boundaries of developed nations. The documentation of the use of social media, in a few rural areas in lower and middle income economies, is minimal. Also, psychological, technical as well as institutional barriers, to some extent, limit the use of social media among the agrarian stakeholders. Considering the growing popularity of social media among the young and old alike, irrespective of their urban or rural distribution, this issue focuses on the innovations, resources and examples that social media brings forth for agricultural extension and its implications on shaping the future of extension.
Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) is a network of organisations, enterprises and individuals ... more Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) is a network of organisations, enterprises and individuals focussed on bringing new products, new processes and new forms of organisation into economic use, together with the institutions and policies that affect their behaviour and performance. With agricultural systems becoming more and more open to multiple stakeholders throughout the spectrum of the farm-to-plate journey of farm produce, innovation systems thinking will become more and more vital in changing times. A strong network of stakeholders make the system effective and beneficial for the farmers. It also aims for providing an innovation platform where farmers are empowered to become entrepreneurs from mere beneficiaries. In AIS, roles and responsibilities of stakeholders are dynamic, changing with time and need; for successful development and scaling of innovation platforms, capacity development as well as partnership networking becomes important. The issue delves into what AIS is, how it operates, the diagnostic framework, capacity development for stakeholders in AIS, shortfalls of AIS and its implications on extension and advisory services.
As agriculture becomes climate smart, the need of hour is to gear up Research and Extension syste... more As agriculture becomes climate smart, the need of hour is to gear up Research and Extension system empowering farmer to face the challenges posed by inevitable change of climate. The concept climate smart agriculture (CSA) has been recognised by national, international institutes and several initiatives were taken to develop climate smart technologies. But still, the dissemination and uptake of climate smart technologies, tools and practices is still largely an ongoing, challenging process. Increasing the returns and benefits that agricultural producers derive from their production systems is an essential component of CSA and therefore also requires well-functioning and accessible extension advisory services. Climate Smart Agriculture needs to be mainstreamed into core government policy, expenditure and planning frameworks. This issue focuses on various approaches in agricultural extension and advisory services to facilitate Climate Smart Agriculture. It showcases examples where participation and inclusion have been integrated into extension approaches for the ultimate benefit of farming communities that were part of CSA initiatives.
Agriculture is of high importance in India
because of the dependence of 140 million farmers on th... more Agriculture is of high importance in India because of the dependence of 140 million farmers on the sector, its implications for a climate smart future, as a supplier of raw materials for industries, and for feeding the large population. Information becomes an important input in the sector to make it sustainable and social media is an important tool. Acceptance and use of social media is skewed across the sector because of multiple factors that ultimately decide its applicability. This study explored social media usage among agricultural extension professionals and their perceived benefits for agricultural development. The study draws data collected through online Google forms distributed through email and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp) from 269 extension professionals globally and 264 from India and discusses what affects use of social media in professional communication. WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube were the most preferred platforms because of easier user interface and higher percentage of users, and personal mobile phones were the most preferred mode of access. Organizations were found to be catching up in use of social media but still lagged behind in concrete policies to guide the use of digital tools. The findings strongly advocate increased use of social media in agricultural extension and advisory services.
The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 2013
ABSTRACT Purpose: This case study deals with the implementation methodology, innovations and less... more ABSTRACT Purpose: This case study deals with the implementation methodology, innovations and lessons of the ICT initiative in providing agricultural extension services to the rural tribal farming community of North-East India.Methodology: This study documents the ICT project implementation challenges, impact among farmers and briefly indicates lessons of the e-agriculture project.Findings: The e-agriculture prototype demonstrated that the Rs. 2,400 (USD 53) cost of the extension services to provide farm advisory services was saved per farmer per year, expenditure was reduced 3.6 times in comparison with the conventional extension system. Sixteenfold less time was required by the farmers for availing the services and threefold less time was required to deliver the services to the farmers compared with the conventional extension system. However, this article argues that in less developed areas, information through ICTs alone may not create expected development. Along with appropriate agricultural information and knowledge, field demonstrations and forward (farm machinery, manure, seeds) and backward linkages (post-harvest technology and market) need to be facilitated with appropriate public–private partnership between knowledge and other rural advisory service providers for agricultural development.Practical implications: This article lists a number of practical lessons which will be useful for the successful planning and implementation of e-agriculture projects in developing countries.Original value: This article is a first case study on ICTs for agricultural extension initiatives among the tribal farmers who dominate the less developed North-East India.
Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centers (AC&ABC) is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Agriculture a... more Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centers (AC&ABC) is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Gol was launched on 9th April, 2002. National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) is the nodal agency for implementing the scheme having a network of 132 Nodal Training Institutes spread across the country. The objective of the scheme is to supplement the efforts of public extension by facilitating qualified Agricultural professionals to set up Agri-ventures and also to deliver value-added extension advisory services to farmers at their door step model, besides providing self-employment opportunities to Agripreneurs. Efforts by the stakeholders have resulted in training of 60,063 agri-graduates and establishing of 25,865 successful Agri-ventures across the country. The entrepreneurship has created dual impact in terms of generating employment in the country and reduced the migration of rural youth. Many success stories of Agripreneurs have been reported from different states signifying their growing importance in Agricultural Extension and Agripreneurship and this publication encapsulates stories of 200 enterprising agripreneurs (www.agriclinics.net).
Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centers (AC&ABC) is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Agriculture a... more Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centers (AC&ABC) is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Gol was launched on 9th April, 2002. National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) is the nodal agency for implementing the scheme having a network of 100 Nodal Training Institutes spread across the country for the last decade. The core objective of the scheme is to supplement the efforts of public extension by facilitating qualified Agricultural professionals to set up Agri-ventures that can deliver value-added extension advisory services to farmers at their door step, besides providing self-employment opportunities to Agripreneurs. Efforts by the stakeholders have resulted in training of 53,000 agri-graduates and establishing of 23,000 successful Agri-ventures across the country. The entrepreneurship has created dual impact in terms of generating employment in the country and reduced the migration of rural youth. Many success stories of Agripreneurs have been reported from different states signifying their growing importance in Agricultural Extension and their national presence. This publication encapsulates stories of 100 such agripreneurs who have succeeded in set-up of agri-clinics, commercial unit of agri-business and so on.
This publication is result of the discussions held during the three day National Workshop on “Agr... more This publication is result of the discussions held during the three day National Workshop on “Agricultural Extension: Time to Change” conducted as a launching programme for “MANAGE-University Alliance for Advancing Agricultural Extension” by National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad from February 14-16, 2018 with the objectives to understand the evolution of extension curricula through the years and initiating dialogue on future directions; delineate the status of extension research in India to influence policy and development dialogue; and address the extent of integration of field extension experiences and innovations in research and curricula.
Urban population has outnumbered the rural with 54.29 per cent (3.9 billion) share globally in 20... more Urban population has outnumbered the rural with 54.29 per cent (3.9 billion) share globally in 2016. Urbanisation is one of the crucial drivers of the transformation in the world, be it educational development, economic growth, employment creation, development of service sectors and so forth. However, the unprecedented paradigm shift in population from rural to urban has led to a concern as to how to ensure the food and nutritional security and food availability of the booming urban inhabitants. Besides, the unplanned developmental undertakings in urban areas have jeopardized the cityscape and ruined the urban ecosystem owing to inevitable growth of industries, factories and a lot of chemical plants in and around the cityscape. In this backdrop, with the intention of restoring the ruining urban environ, there are several ambitious programmes such as planting of trees, promotion of green parks, carbon emission control measures etc., have been implemented by the government, Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs), different organizations and institutions across the cities. Of these programmes urban farming has also been seen as the saviour of urban future. Urban farming is a novel initiative which has been encouraged across urban areas so as to re-create urban areas as clean, green and sustainable in the near future. According to the FAO report, urban garden lands are 15 times more productive than the rural holdings and further, the study noted that one square meter of urban farm is capable of producing 36 heads of lettuce every 60 days, 10 cabbages every 90 days and 100 onions every 120 days. Moreover, urban farming is capable of bolstering more social and political inclusion, sustainability in environment, economic progress, and unified water and land policies. Urban farming also paves a way to nutritional security of the population and assures the access to daily sustenance. Another report of FAO articulates that, of the 54.29 per cent of the urban population, 10.66 per cent of (0.8 billion) of the population is found to be involved in urban farming and believed to have produced one-fifth (1/5th) of the world food production. In this context, numerous research studies have been carried out across the urban areas to explore as to how the farming in urban areas meets the food and nutritional security along with its impact on urban ecosystem and cityscape. However, there have been a dearth of information on good practices and approaches followed in urban farming. And there is a lack of documentation on the novel practices which were invented and initiated by the urbanites who have been involving in urban farming for years from now.
The study “Climate Smart Agriculture Towards a Triple Win: Adaptation, Mitigation and Food Securi... more The study “Climate Smart Agriculture Towards a Triple Win: Adaptation, Mitigation and Food Security” was undertaken with the objectives to get a comprehensive assay of all the stakeholders involved in climate smart agriculture programmes and the assessment of barriers and incentives while adopting climate smart agricultural practices by all the stakeholders involved. The research was taken up in the vulnerable districts, Hamirpur and Bilaspur of Himachal Pradesh where different stakeholders consisted the sample size, identified through snowball sampling. A semi-structured interview schedule was prepared for stakeholder mapping and analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) programmes viz., National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Project (HPCDP) have been identified in the selected districts in which state agriculture university, state department of agriculture and other line departments, Zonal Research Stations (ZRS), soil conservation wing, soil testing labs, development officers, agricultural extension officers (AEOs), Krishak Vikas Associations (KVAs), farmers, groups, input dealers and traders, selfhelp groups and the farmers have been collaboratively working under these programmes. Different extension activities viz., demonstrations and trainings have been organized at village level and institutional level on natural resource management, crop production, integrated pest management, livestock production etc., to make farmers more climate smart. On mapping of the stakeholders based on their power and interest, it was found that state department of agriculture and other line departments, development officers at district level and research organisations had high power and low interest while the stakeholders at block (AEOs and KVAs) and village level (SHGs and farmers) were categorized with low power and high interest. From relational analysis of the stakeholders by actor-linkage matrix, it was revealed that the farmers and state departments have weak collaboration with input dealers. Various agro-advisories and weather forecasting messages have been given to the beneficiaries through mkisan portal, personal contact method, mass media, etc. Inaccessibility to good quality inputs, lack of space on the small land holdings for installing water harvesting structures and micro irrigation projects, lack of marketing facilities, lack of access to credit facilities were identified as the major barriers, while success stories and best farmer awards were identified as incentives.
Global population is projected to reach 9 billion by 2050 and the number of young people (aged 15... more Global population is projected to reach 9 billion by 2050 and the number of young people (aged 15 to 24) is also expected to increase to 1.3 billion, accounting for almost 14 percent of the projected global population. Most born in the developing countries of Africa and Asia, where more than half the population still live in rural areas. India is expected to have 34.33 per cent share of youth in the total population by 2020, which is a huge reserve of human resource and potential. In this backdrop, this study was conducted in Kanpur and Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh State of India selected purposively. A total number of 80 respondents were selected through random sampling from eight sample village panchayats. Data was collected through personal interview with a semi-structured schedule from farming and non-farming youth. Percentage, cumulative frequency and rank were used for calculation and drawing the inferences. Present scenario shows that the agriculture needs that the young work force so involvement of the Youth in agriculture is must, reason behind that the majority of the farmers in Indian context are more than 35 years and they are not able to adopt new technologies and methods of practices due to lack of education and awareness. Most of the farmers preferred traditional methods of farming and were not aware of improved methods. The major problem faced by the farming youth were ‘lack of training programme’ and one another problem faced by the farming and non-farming youth were lack of timely guidance by the Rural Agricultural Extension Officer and Agriculture Development Officers and they suggested involvement of the youth in policy making. Majority (50%) of the farming youths agreed that social media is very helpful to getting new information related to farming, and it saves the time and money (32.50%). All the farming and non-farming youth were involved in religious groups. Majority of the farming youth (65%) and non-farming youth (22.50%) knew about Krishi Rin Mochan Yojna. Farming and non-farming youth’s awareness level about the programme/ policy related to the youth and agriculture were very low; adoption of the policy or programme was also very low due to the lack of awareness and level of education. So there is need to improve the education level and awareness level of the youths through the training and educative programme. Majority (47.50%) of the farming youths were agreed with Social media is very helpful to getting new information related to farming.
Security (Food and Human) is one of the major challenges confronting the world today. Food securi... more Security (Food and Human) is one of the major challenges confronting the world today. Food security, along with poverty eradication and ecological conservation, is one of the most significant elements of the millennium development goals. Food Security is pedestal on three essential pillars of Food availability on a consistent basis, Food access for appropriate nutritious diet and Food use for basic nutrition and care as well as adequate water and sanitation. Nutrition is a basic human need and a prerequisite to a healthy life. A proper diet is essential from the very early stages of life for proper growth, development and to remain active. Food consumption mainly depends on production and distribution, determines health and nutrition of the population. An important part of the nutrition gap is the information gap. Lack of knowledge is one of the major causes for poor nutrition among the people. Under nutrition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, obesity and dietrelated chronic diseases exist side by side in many countries. Whether food supplies are scarce or abundant, it is essential that people know how best to make use of their resources to ensure nutritional wellbeing. To be adequately nourished, individuals need to have access to sufficient and good quality food and they need an understanding of what constitutes a good diet for health, as well as the skills and motivation to make good food choices. Awareness level of men and women about food and nutrition is different. They attain information from different sources. Nutrition education is a major source of information about nutrition. It helps to promote access to a variety of nutritious food, increase knowledge of the nutritional value of foods and develop personal skills and motivation to adopt healthy eating practices.
With the changing global scenario and changing pattern of the agriculture extension professionals... more With the changing global scenario and changing pattern of the agriculture extension professionals need to brace up with the new and required competencies. Among agriculture and allied sectors livestock sector is facing new challenges in terms of the production, adaptation, stress and occurrence of emerging and re-emerging diseases. The study to access the core competencies of livestock extension professionals was taken in the Kashmir division of Jammu And Kashmir State. Data was collected through an unstructured questionnaire from middle and low level livestock extension professionals. The competent livestock extension professionals are much needed resource of the hour. But currently the scenario of the livestock extension departments and the professionals is not much impressive. The contacts of the livestock extension professionals with livestock related agencies, flow of information and linkage with livestock related agencies was found to be not enough as per the requirements. The infrastructure facilities, medicines and vaccine availability were not found to be adequate. The core competencies that are crucial for the job of livestock professionals are not very effective. Though professionals understand the importance of having the competencies related to animal welfare, treatment, prevention, diversity, programme planning and evaluation but the knowledge and skill regarding the same are low. The middle level extension functionaries (Veterinarians) are having higher competencies than the lower level (Para-vets) due to well-known reasons of pre-service training, in-service training, more experience and understanding of the subject etc. The appropriate ways to acquire the core competencies in livestock extension professionals were recognized as good pre-service training, in-service training through various Animal husbandry departments, Veterinary colleges, ICAR institutes, Extension Education institutes etc. The current challenges in the livestock extension professionals can only be solved when there is better collaboration and coordination between the field, research labs and with other extension agencies. This will help in increasing the livestock service competencies, risk analysis competencies and programme planning competencies.
Agriculture is the backbone of our country. Though its contribution to GDP is just around 14 perc... more Agriculture is the backbone of our country. Though its contribution to GDP is just around 14 percent, over half of our country’s population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods. The risingfood prices have pushed people back into poverty. The growing global population, expected to hit 9 billion by 2050, has heightened the demand for food and placedpressure on alreadyfragile resources. Feeding that population will require a 70 per cent increase in food production.Agriculture faces a range of modern and serious challenges, particularly in developing countries exposed to price shocks, climate change, and continued deficiencies in infrastructure in rural areas. It is in this context that ICTs play a crucial role in helping people meet the demand for increased food production. ICTs can play a very crucial role by disseminating information to farmers to help them make better well informed decisions. Through ICTs people can obtain the latest up-to-date information, learn and practice sustainable farming. It is in this regard that seven case studies have been documented in this report to understand the various unique pathways through which ICTs can play a crucial role in promoting agricultural development.
The startups are an exemplar that great things are done by a series of small things brought toget... more The startups are an exemplar that great things are done by a series of small things brought together. Taking one small step at a time, moving from one problem to another and solving the issues by disruptive innovation is what these startups are trying to achieve. The startups are not only creating new jobs which means more employment but are also leaving a ripple effect on the socio-economic fabric of the demography in which they are operating. The world has become a playfield for these young entrepreneurs as the global startup revolution continues to grow. Underneath this continued growth, fundamental shifts are occurring. The fuel that incited the first and second generation startup revolution have started to decline and a new third wave is taking over the world stage. The era of social apps, digital media and pure internet companies which were part of first and second generation revolution are being taken over by sectors viz. FinTech, CleanTech, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, etc. This change is not only limited to sectors but is also shaking things geographically too. The dominance of West viz. Silicon Valley and USA is witnessing a decline and the East with leaders like China and India is on the rise. With this rise, India has become the third largest startup ecosystem hub. India is home to highest number of unicorn startups after US and China with 26 unicorns out of 250+ total unicorns globally. At a time where with the increasing population and demand for better quality and higher quantity of food is required, the performance pressure on farms are increasing. Agritech startups are such a relevant solution across the agricultural value chain and they can be in the form of a product, a service or an application. There is a decent growth of startups in the country which needs a strong push if we want the agri sector to flourish. India has already built a strong name for itself in the global startup community. It’s time to make agritech startups successful and propel India forward as a leader in the agri technology sector too.
Social media has changed the landscape of global development. Worldwide, it is not just shaping c... more Social media has changed the landscape of global development. Worldwide, it is not just shaping communication but also the future, by influencing opinions and mobilizing masses. This digital communication method has become an inseparable part of everyday life. With increased popularity, it has become the most used medium for business and development sectors alike. This popularity though, is yet to reach a mass scale in agriculture all over the world and beyond the boundaries of developed nations. The documentation of the use of social media, in a few rural areas in lower and middle income economies, is minimal. Also, psychological, technical as well as institutional barriers, to some extent, limit the use of social media among the agrarian stakeholders. Considering the growing popularity of social media among the young and old alike, irrespective of their urban or rural distribution, this issue focuses on the innovations, resources and examples that social media brings forth for agricultural extension and its implications on shaping the future of extension.
Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) is a network of organisations, enterprises and individuals ... more Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) is a network of organisations, enterprises and individuals focussed on bringing new products, new processes and new forms of organisation into economic use, together with the institutions and policies that affect their behaviour and performance. With agricultural systems becoming more and more open to multiple stakeholders throughout the spectrum of the farm-to-plate journey of farm produce, innovation systems thinking will become more and more vital in changing times. A strong network of stakeholders make the system effective and beneficial for the farmers. It also aims for providing an innovation platform where farmers are empowered to become entrepreneurs from mere beneficiaries. In AIS, roles and responsibilities of stakeholders are dynamic, changing with time and need; for successful development and scaling of innovation platforms, capacity development as well as partnership networking becomes important. The issue delves into what AIS is, how it operates, the diagnostic framework, capacity development for stakeholders in AIS, shortfalls of AIS and its implications on extension and advisory services.
As agriculture becomes climate smart, the need of hour is to gear up Research and Extension syste... more As agriculture becomes climate smart, the need of hour is to gear up Research and Extension system empowering farmer to face the challenges posed by inevitable change of climate. The concept climate smart agriculture (CSA) has been recognised by national, international institutes and several initiatives were taken to develop climate smart technologies. But still, the dissemination and uptake of climate smart technologies, tools and practices is still largely an ongoing, challenging process. Increasing the returns and benefits that agricultural producers derive from their production systems is an essential component of CSA and therefore also requires well-functioning and accessible extension advisory services. Climate Smart Agriculture needs to be mainstreamed into core government policy, expenditure and planning frameworks. This issue focuses on various approaches in agricultural extension and advisory services to facilitate Climate Smart Agriculture. It showcases examples where participation and inclusion have been integrated into extension approaches for the ultimate benefit of farming communities that were part of CSA initiatives.
Agriculture is of high importance in India
because of the dependence of 140 million farmers on th... more Agriculture is of high importance in India because of the dependence of 140 million farmers on the sector, its implications for a climate smart future, as a supplier of raw materials for industries, and for feeding the large population. Information becomes an important input in the sector to make it sustainable and social media is an important tool. Acceptance and use of social media is skewed across the sector because of multiple factors that ultimately decide its applicability. This study explored social media usage among agricultural extension professionals and their perceived benefits for agricultural development. The study draws data collected through online Google forms distributed through email and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp) from 269 extension professionals globally and 264 from India and discusses what affects use of social media in professional communication. WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube were the most preferred platforms because of easier user interface and higher percentage of users, and personal mobile phones were the most preferred mode of access. Organizations were found to be catching up in use of social media but still lagged behind in concrete policies to guide the use of digital tools. The findings strongly advocate increased use of social media in agricultural extension and advisory services.
The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 2013
ABSTRACT Purpose: This case study deals with the implementation methodology, innovations and less... more ABSTRACT Purpose: This case study deals with the implementation methodology, innovations and lessons of the ICT initiative in providing agricultural extension services to the rural tribal farming community of North-East India.Methodology: This study documents the ICT project implementation challenges, impact among farmers and briefly indicates lessons of the e-agriculture project.Findings: The e-agriculture prototype demonstrated that the Rs. 2,400 (USD 53) cost of the extension services to provide farm advisory services was saved per farmer per year, expenditure was reduced 3.6 times in comparison with the conventional extension system. Sixteenfold less time was required by the farmers for availing the services and threefold less time was required to deliver the services to the farmers compared with the conventional extension system. However, this article argues that in less developed areas, information through ICTs alone may not create expected development. Along with appropriate agricultural information and knowledge, field demonstrations and forward (farm machinery, manure, seeds) and backward linkages (post-harvest technology and market) need to be facilitated with appropriate public–private partnership between knowledge and other rural advisory service providers for agricultural development.Practical implications: This article lists a number of practical lessons which will be useful for the successful planning and implementation of e-agriculture projects in developing countries.Original value: This article is a first case study on ICTs for agricultural extension initiatives among the tribal farmers who dominate the less developed North-East India.
Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centers (AC&ABC) is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Agriculture a... more Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centers (AC&ABC) is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Gol was launched on 9th April, 2002. National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) is the nodal agency for implementing the scheme having a network of 132 Nodal Training Institutes spread across the country. The objective of the scheme is to supplement the efforts of public extension by facilitating qualified Agricultural professionals to set up Agri-ventures and also to deliver value-added extension advisory services to farmers at their door step model, besides providing self-employment opportunities to Agripreneurs. Efforts by the stakeholders have resulted in training of 60,063 agri-graduates and establishing of 25,865 successful Agri-ventures across the country. The entrepreneurship has created dual impact in terms of generating employment in the country and reduced the migration of rural youth. Many success stories of Agripreneurs have been reported from different states signifying their growing importance in Agricultural Extension and Agripreneurship and this publication encapsulates stories of 200 enterprising agripreneurs (www.agriclinics.net).
Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centers (AC&ABC) is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Agriculture a... more Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centers (AC&ABC) is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Gol was launched on 9th April, 2002. National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) is the nodal agency for implementing the scheme having a network of 100 Nodal Training Institutes spread across the country for the last decade. The core objective of the scheme is to supplement the efforts of public extension by facilitating qualified Agricultural professionals to set up Agri-ventures that can deliver value-added extension advisory services to farmers at their door step, besides providing self-employment opportunities to Agripreneurs. Efforts by the stakeholders have resulted in training of 53,000 agri-graduates and establishing of 23,000 successful Agri-ventures across the country. The entrepreneurship has created dual impact in terms of generating employment in the country and reduced the migration of rural youth. Many success stories of Agripreneurs have been reported from different states signifying their growing importance in Agricultural Extension and their national presence. This publication encapsulates stories of 100 such agripreneurs who have succeeded in set-up of agri-clinics, commercial unit of agri-business and so on.
This publication is result of the discussions held during the three day National Workshop on “Agr... more This publication is result of the discussions held during the three day National Workshop on “Agricultural Extension: Time to Change” conducted as a launching programme for “MANAGE-University Alliance for Advancing Agricultural Extension” by National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad from February 14-16, 2018 with the objectives to understand the evolution of extension curricula through the years and initiating dialogue on future directions; delineate the status of extension research in India to influence policy and development dialogue; and address the extent of integration of field extension experiences and innovations in research and curricula.
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so forth. However, the unprecedented paradigm shift in population from rural to urban has led to a concern as to how to ensure the food and nutritional security and food availability of the booming urban inhabitants. Besides, the unplanned developmental undertakings in urban areas
have jeopardized the cityscape and ruined the urban ecosystem owing to inevitable growth of industries, factories and a lot of chemical plants in and around the cityscape. In this backdrop, with the intention of restoring the ruining urban environ, there are several ambitious programmes such
as planting of trees, promotion of green parks, carbon emission control measures etc., have been implemented by the government, Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs), different organizations
and institutions across the cities. Of these programmes urban farming has also been seen as the saviour of urban future. Urban farming is a novel initiative which has been encouraged across urban areas so as to re-create urban areas as clean, green and sustainable in the near future.
According to the FAO report, urban garden lands are 15 times more productive than the rural holdings and further, the study noted that one square meter of urban farm is capable of producing 36 heads of lettuce every 60 days, 10 cabbages every 90 days and 100 onions every 120 days. Moreover, urban farming is capable of bolstering more social and political inclusion, sustainability in environment, economic progress, and unified water and land policies. Urban farming also paves a way to nutritional security of the population and assures the access to daily sustenance. Another report of FAO articulates that, of the 54.29 per cent of the urban population, 10.66 per cent of (0.8 billion) of the population is found to be involved in urban farming and believed to have produced
one-fifth (1/5th) of the world food production. In this context, numerous research studies have been carried out across the urban areas to explore as to how the farming in urban areas meets the food and nutritional security along with its impact on urban ecosystem and cityscape. However, there have been a dearth of information on good practices and approaches followed in urban farming. And there is a lack of documentation on the novel practices which were invented and initiated by the urbanites who have been involving in urban farming for years from now.
interview schedule was prepared for stakeholder mapping and analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) programmes viz., National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Project (HPCDP) have been identified in the selected districts in which state agriculture university, state department of agriculture and other line departments, Zonal Research Stations (ZRS), soil conservation wing, soil testing labs, development officers, agricultural extension officers (AEOs), Krishak Vikas Associations (KVAs), farmers, groups, input dealers and traders, selfhelp groups and the farmers have been collaboratively working under these programmes. Different extension activities viz., demonstrations and trainings have been organized at village level and institutional level on natural resource management, crop production, integrated pest management, livestock production etc., to make farmers more climate smart. On mapping of the stakeholders based on their power and interest, it was found that state department of agriculture and other line departments, development officers at district level and research organisations had high power and low interest while the stakeholders at block (AEOs and KVAs) and village level (SHGs and farmers) were categorized with low power and high interest. From relational analysis of the stakeholders by actor-linkage matrix, it was revealed that the farmers and state departments have weak collaboration with input dealers. Various agro-advisories and weather forecasting messages have been given to the beneficiaries through mkisan portal, personal contact method, mass media, etc. Inaccessibility to good quality inputs, lack of space on the small land holdings for installing water harvesting structures and micro irrigation projects, lack of marketing facilities, lack of access
to credit facilities were identified as the major barriers, while success stories and best farmer awards were identified as incentives.
they are not able to adopt new technologies and methods of practices due to lack of education and awareness. Most of the farmers preferred traditional methods of farming and were not aware of improved methods. The major problem faced by the farming youth were ‘lack of training
programme’ and one another problem faced by the farming and non-farming youth were lack of timely guidance by the Rural Agricultural Extension Officer and Agriculture Development Officers and they suggested involvement of the youth in policy making. Majority (50%) of the farming youths agreed that social media is very helpful to getting new information related to farming, and it saves the time and money (32.50%). All the farming and non-farming youth were involved in religious groups. Majority of the farming youth (65%) and non-farming youth (22.50%) knew about Krishi Rin Mochan Yojna. Farming and non-farming youth’s awareness level about the programme/ policy related to the youth and agriculture were very low; adoption of the policy or programme was
also very low due to the lack of awareness and level of education. So there is need to improve the education level and awareness level of the youths through the training and educative programme. Majority (47.50%) of the farming youths were agreed with Social media is very helpful to getting new information related to farming.
need and a prerequisite to a healthy life. A proper diet is essential from the very early stages of life for proper growth, development and to remain active. Food consumption mainly depends on production and distribution, determines health and nutrition of the population. An important part
of the nutrition gap is the information gap. Lack of knowledge is one of the major causes for poor nutrition among the people. Under nutrition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, obesity and dietrelated chronic diseases exist side by side in many countries. Whether food supplies are scarce
or abundant, it is essential that people know how best to make use of their resources to ensure nutritional wellbeing. To be adequately nourished, individuals need to have access to sufficient and good quality food and they need an understanding of what constitutes a good diet for health, as well as the skills and motivation to make good food choices. Awareness level of men and women about food and nutrition is different. They attain information from different sources. Nutrition education is a major source of information about nutrition. It helps to promote access to a variety of nutritious food, increase knowledge of the nutritional value of foods and develop personal skills and motivation to adopt healthy eating practices.
collected through an unstructured questionnaire from middle and low level livestock extension professionals. The competent livestock extension professionals are much needed resource of the hour. But currently the scenario of the livestock extension departments and the professionals is not much impressive. The contacts of the livestock extension professionals with livestock related agencies, flow of information and linkage with livestock related agencies was found to be not enough as per the requirements. The infrastructure facilities, medicines and vaccine availability were not found to be adequate. The core competencies that are crucial for the job of livestock professionals are not very effective. Though professionals understand the importance of having the competencies related to animal welfare, treatment, prevention, diversity, programme planning and evaluation but the knowledge and skill regarding the same are low. The middle level extension functionaries (Veterinarians) are having higher competencies than the lower level (Para-vets) due to well-known reasons of pre-service training, in-service training, more experience and understanding of the subject etc. The appropriate ways to acquire the core competencies in livestock extension professionals were recognized as good pre-service training, in-service training through various Animal husbandry departments, Veterinary colleges, ICAR institutes, Extension Education institutes etc. The current challenges in the livestock extension professionals can only be solved when there is better collaboration and coordination between the field, research labs and with other extension
agencies. This will help in increasing the livestock service competencies, risk analysis competencies and programme planning competencies.
hit 9 billion by 2050, has heightened the demand for food and placedpressure on alreadyfragile resources. Feeding that population will require a 70 per cent increase in food production.Agriculture faces a range of modern and serious challenges, particularly in developing countries exposed to price shocks, climate change, and continued deficiencies in infrastructure in rural areas. It is in this context that ICTs play a crucial role in helping people meet the demand for increased
food production. ICTs can play a very crucial role by disseminating information to farmers to help them make better well informed decisions. Through ICTs people can obtain the latest up-to-date information, learn and practice sustainable farming. It is in this regard that seven case studies have been documented in this report to understand the various unique pathways through which ICTs can play a crucial role in promoting agricultural development.
not only creating new jobs which means more employment but are also leaving a ripple effect on the socio-economic fabric of the demography in which they are operating. The world has become a playfield for these young entrepreneurs as the global startup revolution continues to
grow. Underneath this continued growth, fundamental shifts are occurring. The fuel that incited the first and second generation startup revolution have started to decline and a new third wave is taking over the world stage. The era of social apps, digital media and pure internet companies which were part of first and second generation revolution are being taken over by sectors viz. FinTech, CleanTech, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, etc. This change is not only limited to sectors but
is also shaking things geographically too. The dominance of West viz. Silicon Valley and USA is witnessing a decline and the East with leaders like China and India is on the rise. With this rise, India has become the third largest startup ecosystem hub. India is home to highest number of
unicorn startups after US and China with 26 unicorns out of 250+ total unicorns globally. At a time where with the increasing population and demand for better quality and higher quantity of food is required, the performance pressure on farms are increasing. Agritech startups are such a relevant solution across the agricultural value chain and they can be in the form of a product, a service or an application. There is a decent growth of startups in the country which needs a strong push if we
want the agri sector to flourish. India has already built a strong name for itself in the global startup community. It’s time to make agritech startups successful and propel India forward as a leader in the agri technology sector too.
media, in a few rural areas in lower and middle income economies, is minimal. Also, psychological, technical as well as institutional barriers, to some extent, limit the use of social media among the agrarian stakeholders. Considering the growing popularity of social media among the young and old alike, irrespective of their urban or rural distribution, this issue focuses on the innovations, resources and examples that social media brings forth for agricultural extension and its implications on shaping the future of extension.
open to multiple stakeholders throughout the spectrum of the farm-to-plate journey of farm produce, innovation systems thinking will become more and more vital in changing times. A strong network of stakeholders make the system effective and beneficial for the farmers. It also aims for providing an innovation platform where farmers are empowered to become entrepreneurs from mere beneficiaries. In AIS, roles and responsibilities of stakeholders are dynamic, changing with time
and need; for successful development and scaling of innovation platforms, capacity development as well as partnership networking becomes important. The issue delves into what AIS is, how it operates, the diagnostic framework, capacity development for stakeholders in AIS, shortfalls of AIS and its implications on extension and advisory services.
technologies, tools and practices is still largely an ongoing, challenging process. Increasing the returns and benefits that agricultural producers derive from their production systems is an essential component of CSA and therefore also requires well-functioning and accessible extension advisory services. Climate Smart Agriculture needs to be mainstreamed into core government policy, expenditure and planning frameworks. This issue focuses on various approaches in agricultural extension and
advisory services to facilitate Climate Smart Agriculture. It showcases examples where participation and inclusion have been integrated into extension approaches for the ultimate benefit of farming communities that were part of CSA initiatives.
because of the dependence of 140 million farmers on the
sector, its implications for a climate smart future, as a
supplier of raw materials for industries, and for feeding the
large population. Information becomes an important input
in the sector to make it sustainable and social media is an
important tool. Acceptance and use of social media is
skewed across the sector because of multiple factors that
ultimately decide its applicability. This study explored
social media usage among agricultural extension professionals
and their perceived benefits for agricultural development.
The study draws data collected through online
Google forms distributed through email and social media
platforms (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp) from 269
extension professionals globally and 264 from India and
discusses what affects use of social media in professional
communication. WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube were
the most preferred platforms because of easier user interface
and higher percentage of users, and personal mobile
phones were the most preferred mode of access. Organizations
were found to be catching up in use of social media
but still lagged behind in concrete policies to guide the use
of digital tools. The findings strongly advocate increased
use of social media in agricultural extension and advisory
services.
so forth. However, the unprecedented paradigm shift in population from rural to urban has led to a concern as to how to ensure the food and nutritional security and food availability of the booming urban inhabitants. Besides, the unplanned developmental undertakings in urban areas
have jeopardized the cityscape and ruined the urban ecosystem owing to inevitable growth of industries, factories and a lot of chemical plants in and around the cityscape. In this backdrop, with the intention of restoring the ruining urban environ, there are several ambitious programmes such
as planting of trees, promotion of green parks, carbon emission control measures etc., have been implemented by the government, Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs), different organizations
and institutions across the cities. Of these programmes urban farming has also been seen as the saviour of urban future. Urban farming is a novel initiative which has been encouraged across urban areas so as to re-create urban areas as clean, green and sustainable in the near future.
According to the FAO report, urban garden lands are 15 times more productive than the rural holdings and further, the study noted that one square meter of urban farm is capable of producing 36 heads of lettuce every 60 days, 10 cabbages every 90 days and 100 onions every 120 days. Moreover, urban farming is capable of bolstering more social and political inclusion, sustainability in environment, economic progress, and unified water and land policies. Urban farming also paves a way to nutritional security of the population and assures the access to daily sustenance. Another report of FAO articulates that, of the 54.29 per cent of the urban population, 10.66 per cent of (0.8 billion) of the population is found to be involved in urban farming and believed to have produced
one-fifth (1/5th) of the world food production. In this context, numerous research studies have been carried out across the urban areas to explore as to how the farming in urban areas meets the food and nutritional security along with its impact on urban ecosystem and cityscape. However, there have been a dearth of information on good practices and approaches followed in urban farming. And there is a lack of documentation on the novel practices which were invented and initiated by the urbanites who have been involving in urban farming for years from now.
interview schedule was prepared for stakeholder mapping and analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) programmes viz., National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Project (HPCDP) have been identified in the selected districts in which state agriculture university, state department of agriculture and other line departments, Zonal Research Stations (ZRS), soil conservation wing, soil testing labs, development officers, agricultural extension officers (AEOs), Krishak Vikas Associations (KVAs), farmers, groups, input dealers and traders, selfhelp groups and the farmers have been collaboratively working under these programmes. Different extension activities viz., demonstrations and trainings have been organized at village level and institutional level on natural resource management, crop production, integrated pest management, livestock production etc., to make farmers more climate smart. On mapping of the stakeholders based on their power and interest, it was found that state department of agriculture and other line departments, development officers at district level and research organisations had high power and low interest while the stakeholders at block (AEOs and KVAs) and village level (SHGs and farmers) were categorized with low power and high interest. From relational analysis of the stakeholders by actor-linkage matrix, it was revealed that the farmers and state departments have weak collaboration with input dealers. Various agro-advisories and weather forecasting messages have been given to the beneficiaries through mkisan portal, personal contact method, mass media, etc. Inaccessibility to good quality inputs, lack of space on the small land holdings for installing water harvesting structures and micro irrigation projects, lack of marketing facilities, lack of access
to credit facilities were identified as the major barriers, while success stories and best farmer awards were identified as incentives.
they are not able to adopt new technologies and methods of practices due to lack of education and awareness. Most of the farmers preferred traditional methods of farming and were not aware of improved methods. The major problem faced by the farming youth were ‘lack of training
programme’ and one another problem faced by the farming and non-farming youth were lack of timely guidance by the Rural Agricultural Extension Officer and Agriculture Development Officers and they suggested involvement of the youth in policy making. Majority (50%) of the farming youths agreed that social media is very helpful to getting new information related to farming, and it saves the time and money (32.50%). All the farming and non-farming youth were involved in religious groups. Majority of the farming youth (65%) and non-farming youth (22.50%) knew about Krishi Rin Mochan Yojna. Farming and non-farming youth’s awareness level about the programme/ policy related to the youth and agriculture were very low; adoption of the policy or programme was
also very low due to the lack of awareness and level of education. So there is need to improve the education level and awareness level of the youths through the training and educative programme. Majority (47.50%) of the farming youths were agreed with Social media is very helpful to getting new information related to farming.
need and a prerequisite to a healthy life. A proper diet is essential from the very early stages of life for proper growth, development and to remain active. Food consumption mainly depends on production and distribution, determines health and nutrition of the population. An important part
of the nutrition gap is the information gap. Lack of knowledge is one of the major causes for poor nutrition among the people. Under nutrition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, obesity and dietrelated chronic diseases exist side by side in many countries. Whether food supplies are scarce
or abundant, it is essential that people know how best to make use of their resources to ensure nutritional wellbeing. To be adequately nourished, individuals need to have access to sufficient and good quality food and they need an understanding of what constitutes a good diet for health, as well as the skills and motivation to make good food choices. Awareness level of men and women about food and nutrition is different. They attain information from different sources. Nutrition education is a major source of information about nutrition. It helps to promote access to a variety of nutritious food, increase knowledge of the nutritional value of foods and develop personal skills and motivation to adopt healthy eating practices.
collected through an unstructured questionnaire from middle and low level livestock extension professionals. The competent livestock extension professionals are much needed resource of the hour. But currently the scenario of the livestock extension departments and the professionals is not much impressive. The contacts of the livestock extension professionals with livestock related agencies, flow of information and linkage with livestock related agencies was found to be not enough as per the requirements. The infrastructure facilities, medicines and vaccine availability were not found to be adequate. The core competencies that are crucial for the job of livestock professionals are not very effective. Though professionals understand the importance of having the competencies related to animal welfare, treatment, prevention, diversity, programme planning and evaluation but the knowledge and skill regarding the same are low. The middle level extension functionaries (Veterinarians) are having higher competencies than the lower level (Para-vets) due to well-known reasons of pre-service training, in-service training, more experience and understanding of the subject etc. The appropriate ways to acquire the core competencies in livestock extension professionals were recognized as good pre-service training, in-service training through various Animal husbandry departments, Veterinary colleges, ICAR institutes, Extension Education institutes etc. The current challenges in the livestock extension professionals can only be solved when there is better collaboration and coordination between the field, research labs and with other extension
agencies. This will help in increasing the livestock service competencies, risk analysis competencies and programme planning competencies.
hit 9 billion by 2050, has heightened the demand for food and placedpressure on alreadyfragile resources. Feeding that population will require a 70 per cent increase in food production.Agriculture faces a range of modern and serious challenges, particularly in developing countries exposed to price shocks, climate change, and continued deficiencies in infrastructure in rural areas. It is in this context that ICTs play a crucial role in helping people meet the demand for increased
food production. ICTs can play a very crucial role by disseminating information to farmers to help them make better well informed decisions. Through ICTs people can obtain the latest up-to-date information, learn and practice sustainable farming. It is in this regard that seven case studies have been documented in this report to understand the various unique pathways through which ICTs can play a crucial role in promoting agricultural development.
not only creating new jobs which means more employment but are also leaving a ripple effect on the socio-economic fabric of the demography in which they are operating. The world has become a playfield for these young entrepreneurs as the global startup revolution continues to
grow. Underneath this continued growth, fundamental shifts are occurring. The fuel that incited the first and second generation startup revolution have started to decline and a new third wave is taking over the world stage. The era of social apps, digital media and pure internet companies which were part of first and second generation revolution are being taken over by sectors viz. FinTech, CleanTech, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, etc. This change is not only limited to sectors but
is also shaking things geographically too. The dominance of West viz. Silicon Valley and USA is witnessing a decline and the East with leaders like China and India is on the rise. With this rise, India has become the third largest startup ecosystem hub. India is home to highest number of
unicorn startups after US and China with 26 unicorns out of 250+ total unicorns globally. At a time where with the increasing population and demand for better quality and higher quantity of food is required, the performance pressure on farms are increasing. Agritech startups are such a relevant solution across the agricultural value chain and they can be in the form of a product, a service or an application. There is a decent growth of startups in the country which needs a strong push if we
want the agri sector to flourish. India has already built a strong name for itself in the global startup community. It’s time to make agritech startups successful and propel India forward as a leader in the agri technology sector too.
media, in a few rural areas in lower and middle income economies, is minimal. Also, psychological, technical as well as institutional barriers, to some extent, limit the use of social media among the agrarian stakeholders. Considering the growing popularity of social media among the young and old alike, irrespective of their urban or rural distribution, this issue focuses on the innovations, resources and examples that social media brings forth for agricultural extension and its implications on shaping the future of extension.
open to multiple stakeholders throughout the spectrum of the farm-to-plate journey of farm produce, innovation systems thinking will become more and more vital in changing times. A strong network of stakeholders make the system effective and beneficial for the farmers. It also aims for providing an innovation platform where farmers are empowered to become entrepreneurs from mere beneficiaries. In AIS, roles and responsibilities of stakeholders are dynamic, changing with time
and need; for successful development and scaling of innovation platforms, capacity development as well as partnership networking becomes important. The issue delves into what AIS is, how it operates, the diagnostic framework, capacity development for stakeholders in AIS, shortfalls of AIS and its implications on extension and advisory services.
technologies, tools and practices is still largely an ongoing, challenging process. Increasing the returns and benefits that agricultural producers derive from their production systems is an essential component of CSA and therefore also requires well-functioning and accessible extension advisory services. Climate Smart Agriculture needs to be mainstreamed into core government policy, expenditure and planning frameworks. This issue focuses on various approaches in agricultural extension and
advisory services to facilitate Climate Smart Agriculture. It showcases examples where participation and inclusion have been integrated into extension approaches for the ultimate benefit of farming communities that were part of CSA initiatives.
because of the dependence of 140 million farmers on the
sector, its implications for a climate smart future, as a
supplier of raw materials for industries, and for feeding the
large population. Information becomes an important input
in the sector to make it sustainable and social media is an
important tool. Acceptance and use of social media is
skewed across the sector because of multiple factors that
ultimately decide its applicability. This study explored
social media usage among agricultural extension professionals
and their perceived benefits for agricultural development.
The study draws data collected through online
Google forms distributed through email and social media
platforms (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp) from 269
extension professionals globally and 264 from India and
discusses what affects use of social media in professional
communication. WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube were
the most preferred platforms because of easier user interface
and higher percentage of users, and personal mobile
phones were the most preferred mode of access. Organizations
were found to be catching up in use of social media
but still lagged behind in concrete policies to guide the use
of digital tools. The findings strongly advocate increased
use of social media in agricultural extension and advisory
services.