Post on 14-Apr-2017
As a rural boy
Grown up in mandarin Farm
Changing Scenario• No Farmers son wants to be a Farmer anymore ! • Agriculture is not sexy enough to attract young
generation• Rapid rural exodus• Changing landscape of farming• Back breaking, labor consuming and hardly
remunerative
Perusing Career in Agriculture
Lok Marga Integrated Agri-Farm• Establish Permaculture/Organic Farm• Integrate tourism, internship, research and learning
center• Reviving village economy through mentorship,
networking and entrepreneurship development among youth• Back to nature through the culture
http://yubakrishi.com/
YubaKrishi-Dynamic Platform• Mentorship, networking, Entrepreneurship development• “Youth Agriculture Entrepreneurship Conference”-2016• Monthly newsletter• Video Production/Farm Interviews/Success Stories• Training, workshops, visits
AgriYouthNepal- Promoting Youth & ICTs in Agriculture
International Year of Family Farming 2014- Photo ContestWorkshop- Agriculture Education: Providing Opportunities, Preventing Brain DrainFriday Sharing Platform- Spreading the ideasInformator Wall magazineBlog Contest – Youth and ICTs in Agriculture
http://agriyouthnepal.com
Nepalese Youth today ! • 24% of population are between age of 16-29 years• Creative, hardworking, and innovative• Opportunity seekers – [everyday 1500 youth go abroad]• Connected with modern technologies and ICTs• 1999- Mobile penetration was 1%, 2015= 99.12%
• They want change ! – a way out• Nepal’s youth unemployment rate is 19.2% compared to
national unemployment rate of 2.7% (Nepali Times)
Youth and Agriculture: Key issues• Negative mindset about agriculture• Un-employment, under-employment, working poverty• Challenges in agriculture education• Unfavorable conditions in rural areas and rural exodus• Limited youth voice in policy making• Limited access to assets• Ageing farming population
Opportunities• Growing interest in agriculture and fostering youth
engagement• Increased use of ICTs in agriculture• Government youth focus program• Youth self employment program• Access to capital- loan at 6% interest rate• Access to information
• Both farming and rural youth in Nepal are at cross-roads which needs transformation through enhancement in innovation, capacity development, partnership and participatory approach for enhanced skills and attitude.• I am optimistic for one reason because youth like us are
catalyst of change; we deserve a better future where we have better position to bring limelight in the agricultural interventions. Behind responsibilities youth sees opportunities and innovations to meet the growing demands as job creator rather than job seekers.
Status of agricultural enterprises in Nepal • Cooperative as emerging source of economy. • 38000 cooperatives in Nepal - agriculture based. • The cooperatives act as an investment source for low
income livelihood serving as the continuous source of income bolstering their livelihood status. • The private enterprises are still in infant phase in Nepal. • Very few agriculture graduates are
farmers/entrepreneurs
Working in the rural areas• 78% of the Nepalese population resides on rural area• 65% of population depend on agriculture for livelihood• Still 35 districts are food insecure • Traditional farming system still under practice
Credo of community developmentGo to the people Live with them
Learn from them Plan with them Work with them
Start with what they know Build on what they have
Teach by showing Learning by doing Not a showcase But a pattern
No odds and ends But a system
Not to conform But to transform
Not relief but release
Getting Started• Find a local Leader: innovative farmer, teacher, social
worker• Facilitate a group discussion: Identify the status,
problems and solutions in participatory way• Identify the common issues and create strategies to
address• Help them to create opportunities through better
networking, mentorship and entrepreneurship development.
Supporting Network• Identify supportive network: DADO, ASCs, VDC office,
RARCs, Co-Operatives, Farmers Group, Youth Organizations• Access to information: Web and Mobile applications• YubaKrishi• Krishi Ghar• Smart Krishi• IFA-Krishi• Krishak ra Prabidhi• AICC
Working with Youth• Identify their interest/passion, skills, experiences• Adapt with their culture• Problem analysis• Identify their short term and long term goals• Create opportunities for them by networking, visits,
mentorship• Strengthen their source of economy• Career counseling
Cont..• Build a network/youth organization• Frequent meetings and programs• Inspire and equip young people in local communities to
learn and succeed through interactions and activities• Stimulate entrepreneurial thinking- Help them to
establish business and social enterprises• Enhance leadership skills and increase community
awareness• Promote volunteerism and group work
Success stories: Mentorship changing life• Sana Kisan Bank sends Nepalese youth to Israel to learn
their technologies • Till now 1,125 got trained and working in Nepal
Year | Youth Trained2013=2042014= 5112015= 4302016= 430
ICTs: Attracting youth in agriculture• Youth falls in innovators category in ICTs adoption• From back breaking to profitable and honest source of
income• Youngsters who used to see farming as last resort
source of income now see farming as strong source of income
Youth Preferred Trainings• Basic business concepts (profit, loss, business
identification, management, record keeping etc)• Marketing, value addition• Interpersonal and communication skills
Starting from Home Garden• Home garden is a traditional component of the rural
ecosystem• Products which range from annual to perennial are
primarily intended for family consumption.• The seasonal and diversified products give year round
income, provides a safety net for households when food is scare. • Home garden also play important role in in-situ
conservation of wide genetic resources for food and agriculture.
Improving Home Gardens• Small Intervention: Improved Manures, Herb Gardens,
Multi cropping, water harvesting• Food and nutritional security• Growing nutrient dense foods• Integrate elements which have synergistic effect• Seed selection and saving• Processing, Food Preservations• Marketing of surplus products
Mentoring • Seasonal and off-seasonal vegetable cultivations• High value Agriculture Products: Mushroom, Bee
Keeping, Fruits• Preparing good compost• Farm management• Increasing the market value
Demonstration of Technology• Result Demonstration• Seeing is believing
• Method Demonstration• Learning by doing
Thanks ~Questions???