It is high time that earnest endeavors should be made to encourage young men/women of middle-class families to adopt farming as their main occupation. But prior to it, it is important to demonstrate adequately that farming, on an area of land, 10 to 15 acres, which may be readily available in country-side to some young men/women, is a paying proposition. With this object in view an area not more than 15 acres in suitable localities may be acquired or taken on lease by Government and a cropping scheme adopted in order to demonstrate abundantly that, farming on such small area using modern technology including precision agriculture using IoT, combining data using the cloud apps and integrating market conditions will pays sufficiently to enable a young man/woman to maintain his small family. The farm will be run on absolutely economic lines and the buildings, sheds. etc.. constructed on it should be as simple as possible. Fitting in with the conditions prevailing in villages, with such improvements which may be effected within the means of a villager. The methods adopted to run the farm should also be within the reach and means of an average cultivator.
Our modern young man/woman of the locality, preferably with a Bachelors Degree in hand of any stream like of Engineering or Agricultural Science, or any other suitable specialization, with a bias towards agriculture and possessing some capital, should be entertained at the farm as a learner, but he should be required to work on the farm with the labourers doing with his own hands all the operations of the farm. The training should be so arranged as will give him insight into the working of the farm in all its sections including cropping, accounts, balance sheets, etc. He/she should be given a supporting wage per month. Government can even go out to top colleges to source the right talent for this scheme or to do any encouragement activities for a broader reach.
A precision farm with technological inputs of this type should be run in a locality for 3 or 4 years entirely at the cost of Government and under the spot supervision of a competent agricultural officer. In course of this period the Agricultural Department should be able to demonstrate that the cropping scheme worked out at the farm is suited to the local conditions and is a distinct improvement over the local methods. If they cannot demonstrate it within a reasonable period, then the farm should be abolished.
But, if they can demonstrate that the farm is sufficiently paying to enable young man/woman and his/her family to maintain themselves it should be offered to them to run it, on his/her own account. If they have funds, he/she may purchase the farm at a reasonable price or the farm may be leased out to him/her on a reasonable rate of rent. If the farm is paying the young man/woman is likely to be attracted to enter into an agreement with the Government under suitable conditions to run it on his/her own account.
The above is only an outline of scheme to attract, and inspire suitable young men/women to adopt precision agriculture as a profession. Details may be worked out. A number of farms of this type will also serve an object-lesson to the cultivators of the locality.
sivaayyala 