TAKING TECH, TOOLS, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION TO THE VILLAGES Why vocational education in agriculture can make a big difference
Manguirish Pai Raiker rsaa...@gmail.com The world population as of today is estimated to number 7.11 billion by the United States Census Bureau (USCB). Current UN projections show a continued increase in population in the near future (but a steady decline in the population growth rate), with the global population expected to reach between 8.3 and 10.9 billion by 2050. The world's two most-populated countries alone, China and India, together constitute about 37% of the world's population. The world population has grown by over four billion since the beginning of the Green Revolution, but food production has so far kept pace with population growth. Most scholars believe that, without the Revolution, there would be greater levels of famine and malnutrition than the UN presently documents. However, neo-Malthusians point out that the energy for the Green Revolution was provided by fossil-fuels, in the form of natural gas-derived fertiliser, oil-derived pesticides, and hydrocarbon-fuelled irrigation, and that many crops have become so genetically uniform that a crop failure could potentially have global repercussions. The potential peaking of world oil production may test the critics of Malthus and Ehrlich, as oil is of crucial importance to global transportation, power generation and agriculture. In May 2008, the price of grain was pushed up severely by the increased cultivation of bio-fuels, the increase of world oil prices to over $140 per barrel, global population growth, the effects of climate change, the loss of agricultural land to residential and industrial development, and growing consumer demand in the population centers of China and India. Food riots subsequently occurred in some countries. However, oil prices then fell sharply, and remained below $100/barrel until around 2010. Resource demands are expected to ease as population growth declines, but it is unclear whether mass food wastage and rising living standards in developing countries will once again create resource shortages. Scientists have predicted that continued population growth would exhaust the global food supply by 2050.The scenario is very scary. Aggressive and excessive ground utilisation together with fertilisers besides causing ground water depletion may be worrying factors. It is therefore need of the hour to make a policy plan for the future. A number of scientists have argued that the current global population expansion and accompanying increase in resource consumption threatens the world's ecosystem as well as straining humanity's ability to feed itself the world population which stood at 5.5 billion, and lower-bound scenarios predicted a peak of 7.8 billion by 2050. Policy planners as well the thinkers are talking in terms of proper and optimum utilisation of the land mass for cultivation. Organic methods of farming are being promoted. There is also a need to take into consideration the nutritional aspect while planning for the food production. This need can be predominantly satisfied by laying emphasis on horticulture. Vegetables, fruits, medicinal and aromatic plants need to be cultivated to provide for the basic requirement of the growing youth. It is therefore a happy scenario as far as our country is concerned. A concentrated effort from the Horticulture Division of the ICAR under the Agriculture ministry has yielded positive results. The farmers have shown confidence in the techniques and applications provided by the scientists of this division. This has benefitted both the farmers and the country as whole. To achieve the desired growth in agriculture, horticulture sector has played a key role by providing inputs and solutions through focused research in the thrust areas like Gene prospection and allele mining in fruits and vegetables grown under various environmental conditions, Nutrient dynamics and interaction, bioenergy and solid waste utilization, genomics of coconut, mango, banana and parwal, insect pollinators for improving productivity and quality of horticultural crops, development of varieties for cultivation in non-traditional areas, standardization of aeroponics and hydroponics techniques in fruits and vegetables production, studies on nutritive quality and nutraceutical traits in fruits and vegetables, post-harvest and value addition in horticulture crops , modified atmosphere packaging for long storability and transportation of fruits and vegetables. India has emerged as second largest producer of fruits and vegetables. Our country is today the largest producer and exporter of spices and ranks first in productivity of grapes, banana, cassava, peas, papaya etc. India today exports fresh fruits and vegetables 14% in term of value and processed fruits and vegetables to the extent of 16.27%. The focused attention on horticulture has paid dividend and resulted in increased production and export. Production of horticultural produce has increased seven-fold which ensured nutritional security and employment opportunities. There is immense potential in the country for further growth. But for the apathy shown by the new generation. We need to work towards bringing these youths back to the fields by teaching them the right means of cultivation and the benefits that can be derived from it .The demographic profile of the country is very encouraging. We have almost half the population below the age of twenty five. If we do not bring them on the main stream than it could be a big disaster for the country. The skill gap analysis show a big deficit of trained manpower in the field of agriculture. Although we have increased our production with respect to horticulture, almost thirty to forty percentage of it is perished. If this could be put to use either by value addition or by preserving through implementing modern scientific techniques, it would result in making world of difference. This would help in making horticulture products available in the market in greater numbers, resulting in lowering the rates as also improve our export figures. We have to plan to achieve our twin goal of increasing the yield and that of bringing the youths back to the field. If we show them that the commercial viability in this sector, we could make it happen. Vocational education can make this task achievable. There is also enough scope for rural entrepreneurship. To promote this sector, we need to design the courses accordingly. Almost forty percentage of the students drop out at the level of secondary education. If we give them these course with hands-on training and with practical experience, they can be made useful to the society and also be able to make a carrier for themselves. A pilot project has already begun and we are beginning to see the fruits. This need to be translated on a national scale under the mission skill development program. The students are able to start their own ventures, such as starting a nursery, pest management, hi-tech horticulture farming, hi-tech floriculture, post-harvest management, providing various services to the farmers, managing orchards on contract farming basis, establishing cold chain storage systems, providing transfers and transport, and so many other areas of operation. Vocational education gives the students a scientific approach towards the horticulture development, it also gives him the economic perspective and more so it gives him a confidence to move forward. It also teaches him to be more practical and adjust to the market conditions besides making his living conditions more stable and comfortable. When it is brought to his notice that the rural life is more comfortable and more yielding than the urban, it will induce him to come back to his roots. The quality of life is definitely better in this pollution free environment. Government can also think of bringing the fallow land under cultivation. Coupled with horticulture, poultry farming, fish farming, dairy farming can also be added. Value addition on co-operative basis can bring affluence and happiness to the society. This will also enable the country to grow and achieve rural development. @Goanet