New techniques, scientific approach will attract youth to agriculture: Minister :

Agriculture Department ready to extend all possible help

: Only inclusive economic development adopting new techniques and a scientific approach will attract youth to agriculture. At a time when farmers are combating climate change, global warming and scanty rainfall in their bid to provide food security, it is imperative that younger generation is drawn to agriculture, Housing and Agriculture Minister R. Vaithilingam said here on Saturday.

Addressing a workshop on enhancing capacity building of rural youth in agriculture organised by the Department of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Mr. Vaithilingam observed that the aim was to attract youth to agriculture and allied activities and retain their interest by making them understand that scientific way of farming would pay rich dividends.

This was the time to undertake the exercise and the youth must relish the joy of undertaking farming in consonance with nature. We were endowed with a youthful and knowledgeable population that must be converted into a potent agricultural weapon to deal with food requirements of the multitudes, he said.

Stating that the nation has varied climate conditions to suit several agricultural and animal husbandry demands, the fact that our farmers were doing agriculture in small, individual landholdings with unorganised marketing methods prevented bountiful agricultural income. The State Government was particular that productivity must grow and the individual revenue need to multiply to make farming profitable, Mr. Vaithilingam said.

Post harvest value addition must be resorted by adopting proper techniques for maximising gains from fields. Today’s youth could achieve these aims and it was there where their utility value in agriculture increased, he said adding that the Department of Agriculture would extend all help to the willing youth.

Director of Agriculture M. Rajendran, Collector N. Subbaiyan, MLAs M. Rengasamy and M. Rethinasamy, Director of the Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology, K. Singaravadivel, Mayor Savithri Gopal, former Vice-Chancellor of the TNAU K. Ramasamy, as also N. Parasuraman and S. Jagan Karuppaiah of the MSSRF spoke.

Source : The Hindu