Chouhan calls for training agricultural startups in India

NEW DELHI, Sep 28: Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today emphasized the importance of training for agri startups in the country and called for well-developed training modules and curriculum.
“Training agri start-ups is very important today,” Chouhan said after virtually laying the foundation stone of the executive hostel block and training block of the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management in Hyderabad.
He suggested that the institute pay attention to every aspect of the expansion work. Therefore, training modules and courses should not only be traditional, but also meet today’s requirements, the official statement said.
He also called for crop diversification, value addition and promotion of natural agriculture.
Chouhan, who is in Daltonganj in Jharkhand, expressed concern over the decline in pigeonpea cultivation in the state and announced that the Center would procure the pulses.
The team will also visit the state and encourage the cultivation of pigeon peas and other pulses in the region.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi met World Bank Vice President for South Asia Martin Raiser and discussed the government’s priorities in the agriculture sector.
He said the government is making efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds by promoting sustainable agriculture, implementing policies to overcome the challenge of smallholder farming, and implementing policies to improve service delivery to farmers and introduce changes in large-scale behavior, the statement said.
During the meeting, discussion focused on ways to ensure carbon credit benefits to small and marginal farmers; challenges of reducing farm size; access to capital for agricultural producer organizations; using digital and soil health infrastructure to change behavior at scale for sustainable input; developing policies that encourage farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices and climate-smart and climate-resilient agriculture. (PTI)