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???