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Skilled farmers ready for sustainable farming

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Skilled farmers ready for sustainable farming

CM Devendra Fadnavis believes in sustainable farming through skill development 

Mumbai: Through the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) the farmers will be trained in modern and experimentative farming. This project will prove to be path-breaking and will bring about transformation in farming. Through this programme, the farmers will be ready for the development of agriculture, said Fadnavis in Mumbai on Wednesday. Around three lakh farmers from the state will be benefitted through this mission. 

State Agriculture Minister Chandrakant Patil, Minister of Labour and Employment, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar, Annasaheb Patil Arthik Magas Vikas Mahamandal Head Narendra Patil, Agriculture and Water Conservation Secretary Eknath Davale, Skill Development Secretary Assem Gupta and Skill Development Commissioner Virendra Singh were also present.

“This training will help farmers take a step towards sustainable farming practices,” said Nilangekar.

Fadnavis said, “The farmers can seek information about late Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Yojana. The scheme will help them to coordinate between agriculture and market and will also help them increase their farming productivity. Under PMKVY the farmers will be trained to do group farming.”

He added that in the last few years, agriculture is undergoing several changes due to fluctuations in rainfall, use of pesticides to boost productivity, inflated market prices, highlighting the need for training of farmers.

International experts of Simaces Learning LLP and Palladium India Consulting Private Limited will implement this programme on the State-level.

Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Mission of Annasaheb Patil Arthik Magas Vikas Mahamandal

Quote:

CM Devendra Fadnavis:
Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Mission of Annasaheb Patil Arthik Magas Vikas Mahamandal will create employment opportunities in villages and young boys and girls from farmers’ families will reap the benefits.

Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar:
Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Mission of Annasaheb Patil Arthik Magas Vikas Mahamandal will create an army of skilled farmers. And this is a revolutionary step.

Programme highlights

  • To procure world-class technology. 
  • Community development through group farming. 
  • Simaces Learning LLP and Palladium India Consulting Private Limited to implement. 
  • Project duration: 16 months. 
  • It will be implemented in 34 districts phase-wise. In the first phase, it will be implemented in three districts of Vidarbha: Nagpur, Wardha, Chandrapur; Marathwada: Latur, Beed, and Nanded. 
  • Nearly, 3 lakh farmers will receive free three-day training through 1,873 state corporation offices. 
  • Benefits for participants include: Certificates issued to entrepreneurs in group farming; accidental insurance worth Rs 2 lakh for two years; farmers will get benefits under Annasaheb Patil Finance Development Corporation on the priority basis. 
  • Farmers Skill Development Programme conducted in Patan Savagi, Nagpur district, Kandhali, Wardha district and Mul, Chandrapur district. 
  • Fadnavis interacted with the farmers through video-conferencing on the second day of the workshop. 

Quotes by farmers

“We are happy that CM Fadnavis is serious about this scheme and since he has spoken to us on the first day, it boosts our confidence. The farmers will be encouraged for group farming.” — Pandurang Naukarkar, Vikhani, Wardha. 

“We are ready for farming, but despite our hard work, we hardly earn any profit. We are hopeful that this programme will revolutionise farming in the State. — Santosh Garje, Nandgaon, Latur  

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Proposal to establish 79 farmers’ producing companies in six districts in Maharashtra

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Proposal to establish 79 farmers’ producing companies in six districts in Maharashtra

Mumbai : The ambitious Maharashtra agriculture skill development program is encouraging the farmers to shift towards the group farming and helping them change their thoughts and refrain from un-organized and single farming. The farmers from six districts, who are benefited by the training program in first phase, had resolved to establish 79 farmers’ production companies.

For making the farming sustainable and affordable carrying it individually is now not going to yield fruits but if they work together on various problems like weather, market, labor, they can head towards ‘Better farming’ and this view is now being prevalent and disseminating in village surroundings with greater speed.

Nowadays a special agricultural project has been started under the Prime Minister skill development scheme of the union government (PMKVY 2.0). For this, the state level skill development and Entrepreneurship department has appointed Maharashtra state skill development society as a nodal agency for planning, coordination, execution and monitoring of skill development initiatives. A scheme is implemented in the state under the name of Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj entrepreneurship and Skill Development Mission.

The seeds for encouraging the group farming in Maharashtra were sowed someone and half decade before but in last three months, the Maharashtra agriculture skill development program has helped a lot in propagating and disseminating the concept of group farming. This has attracted huge number of farmers in the state towards group farming. The training program for group farming is important for the farmers of the state. The Prime Minister Skill Development Scheme 2.0 and Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Entrepreneurship and skill development Mission is encouraging farmers for group farming.

Through Maharashtra state skill development society, Simosis learning LLP and Palladium Consulting India Private Limited the three day training program in the entire state is implemented in thousands of revenue circles and the weekly meeting is being implemented. The state government is taking all out efforts to see that group farming promoters are prepared in all the villages so that successful farmers producing companies will flourish in the state. For this the government is engage in convincing the farmers to see that if sustainable and affordable farming is needed, it is necessary to come together, unite and start group farming. This appeal has received good response from the farmers and young farmers and women in addition to progressive farmers are uniting under the banner of ‘Group farming’.

The farmers during the training are imparted knowledge about local crops, technical information, information about the situation of market and this has raised their confidence. This venture was started on 18 December, 2018 in Nagpur, Wardha and Chandrapur district in Vidarbha and Latur Beed and Nanded district in Marathwada region. Untill 16 February 2019, Such training was imparted to farmers in 202 revenue circles. 37 thousand 184 farmers participated in this three day training program. After the weekly meetings, the examinations of farmers started from 6th February 2019. Till date, more than 1342 farmers have given the examinations.

Proposal to establish 79 farmers’ producing companies in six districts in Maharashtra

First exam as a farmer that too using tab

The salient feature of this training program is that it was the first time that examinations of the farmers were conducted. Maximum of the farmers have handled the tab for the first time in their life. At the beginning they were a little bit scared, but when they saw that question paper is available easily on the tab and they are also having multiple choice questions, they were glad. Many farmers expressed their views by saying that this was the first time when they gave the examination and that to in a digital way.

Initiation for starting farmers producing company

Many farmers have taken initiation from this training for establishing farmers’ producing companies in their respective regions. These farmers had lengthy discussion during the weekly meeting program and they said that they will be discussing together to finally take a decision related to the name of the company, which crop they have to work on? and which business to start with?. They said that after deliberations, they will take the final decisions. Till date, 79 proposals for starting farmers producing companies were taken. These included 36 proposals from Latur district besides 12 from Nanded, 10 from Wardha, 9 from Nagpur, 8 from Beed and 4 from Chandrapur district.

1602 farmers registered their name for the three day training programs that were conducted on 18 December and on 3rd January respectively. After this, 1342 farmers participated in the examinations held between 6 to 12th February 2019.

The following table shows district wise registration of farmers and the number of farmers who appeared for the examinations:-

District

Registered farmers

Farmers who appeared for examination

Nagpur

Chandrapur

Wardha

Latur

Beed

Nanded

Total

431

187

274

177

305

228

1602

353

157

228

157

265

182

1342

Eight districts in next phase

  • In the coming 16 months the project will be implemented in 34 district step by step.
  • Two lakh 82 thousand farmers were given three day free training in the 1873 revenue circles of the state.
  • In the first phase Nagpur, Wardha, Chandrapur from Vidarbha region, whereas Latur, Beed and Nanded from Marathwada region were included.
  • The second phase will be starting from April in eight districts of the state. This will include Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane and Palghar from Konkan region and Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara from West Maharashtra.

Program implemented in this way

*Training is conducted at the headquarters of the revenue circles or the villages where all the facilities for the training are available. In these three days, the importance of group farming, production management of any one crop of that region, evaluation of Agricultural produce, avenues in supply chain, importance of market planning, establishment of farmers producing companies and the introduction of group farming scheme is being explained to the participants.

* After the three days training program, a weekly joint program is being implemented. The discussions of how farmers group should be established? how to make preparations for such establishments? are also chalked out.

*After the completion of the training, the Agriculture skill Council of India (AFCI) conducts the tests of the farmers. Those farmers who score minimum 70 percent of the marks are selected as group farming promoter and given a certificate as a promoter.

Benefits to the farmers

*The farmers who pass the examination will be getting 500 rupees return from the government

*Those having the certificate will be given the benefit of all the government schemes with priority.

*This certificate owner will also get priority in benefits related to Annasaheb Patil Arthik Magas Vikas Mahamandal scheme. He/She will also get priority in benefits of agriculture related schemes for starting some industries based on farming.

*He.She will also get free accidental insurance of rupess two lakhs for two years.

Feedback of the farmers :-

“In this day training program, I got the knowledge about how to make progress in orange farming and also that what I should be doing for group farming. I also learnt how to take benefit of more crops. Such training programs should be conducted frequently. I also like the way training was imparted”
– Mahendra Asole, Nagpur

“I got the guidance about group farming in this three day training program and now I am damn sure that the group farming is 100 percent beneficial”
– Ishwar Bhongade, Nagpur

“This was the first time I got the training. I got good knowledge and that two of different facets. They explained me how the group farming is carried out?.even they trained me how to get good market for my agricultural produce? and where to sell it. We were 5260 women in this training camp. Coming together seems to be a little bit difficult, but now we are totally prepared to come together for sustainable farming.”
-Vandana Honrao, Fulwal, Taluka Kandhar, district Nanded.

“I am grateful to the government for giving us such training. They have helped us recognized the skills within yourself. Now we will be using that to solve our problems.”
-Ajay Chandankhede Gaul, District Wardha

“After the crop is harvested, it is very difficult time for the farmers as they are in search of market where they will get good return for the product. In such a time, they are cheated. For averting and avoiding such instances, we should be knowing about marketing process, market survey and other such things. I got this from the three day training program. Now we are going to change the farming pattern”.
-Nirmala Nat, Bolaghat, district Chandrapur

“I have experimented in farming in many ways but did not got success so I was depressed. I also took training at one place, but I could not understand the language but this three days training program under the skill development Mission has helped me a lot. Now all my problems are overcome. I got this training in our own region. I am satisfied by the training.”
-Mahindra Raut, Rohana, district Wardha.

“I got the entire information about group farming. The trainers were good. We liked their thoughts. We like minded farmers will be coming on a single platform and positively thinking for the group farming. Those who are ready will be included in our group. Till date, we were carrying on farming for own self but now we will be doing it with the help of each other and with mutual cooperation. This will help a lot in overcoming the problems of one and all. I am confident about it.”
-Meghanath Mashakhetri, Gangalwadi, Taluka Brahmapuri, district Chandrapur.

“We got the direction for carrying on group farming through this training. Instead of doing individual farming, group farming is more beneficial and I learnt it during the training. I also learnt that mutual cooperation is more beneficial. We were 15 women who participated in this training and now we have decided to go for group farming. We are going to march ahead in various phases. This was the first time when we gave examination as a farmer. I was not at all afraid of this examination.”
-Anita Barshi, Taluka Mool, district Chandrapur.

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Schemes launched to encourage farming

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Schemes launched to encourage farming

The details of the schemes were shared by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai at Sahyadri Guest House on Friday. He was speaking at the launch of several schemes to provide financial assistance to economically backward entrepreneurs under the Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Entrepreneurship and Skill Development campaign being implemented by the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Department

Mumbai: The State government launched four schemes for farmers and other persons including small businessmen and youths to promote farming and cluster farming.

The details of the schemes were shared by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai at Sahyadri Guest House on Friday. He was speaking at the launch of several schemes to provide financial assistance to economically backward entrepreneurs under the Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Entrepreneurship and Skill Development campaign being implemented by the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Department.

Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil, Minister Eknath Shinde and other ministers were present for the event. Speaking at the event, Fadnavis said this is for the first time that around 2.82 lakh farmers and youths will be trained in advanced farming skills which will help them in fetching higher output in farming.

The schemes include personal loan interest refund scheme, group project loan interest refund scheme, group project loan scheme and the Shetkari Kushal Yojana. “We started using urea in 1906 for farming and even after 112 years, we have not found an alternative. There is need for scientific and experimental farming to increase the quality and quantity of the produce,” Fadnavis said.

The farmers and youths will be provided two months’ theoretical training and one-month practical training.

Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil said the four schemes being implemented would generate jobs, adding that nearly 2.5 lakh farmers and youths would be provided skill development training for self-employment and business. “Under this, training in 34 farm-related study programmes including sowing and increasing agricultural productivity has been included,” added Patil.

Speaking on the issue of Maratha reservation, Fadnavis said his government had acted positively on the Maratha reservation issue and the matter was now in court.

About the 4 schemes:

  • Personal loan interest refund scheme: One person from one family can avail the benefits which are applicable for farming, small and medium enterprises and some others.
  • Group project loan interest refund scheme: Applicable for farming, small and medium enterprises, the government approved small saving groups and cooperative organisations. To avail the benefits the applicant should not have availed benefits of Mahamandals.
  • Group project loan scheme: For the age group 18 to 41 years of age. Applicant should be resident of Maharashtra and should not have an annual income of more than Rs 8 lakh.
  • Shetkari Kushal Yojana: Training to be provided to farmers and youths for business and self-employment.
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“Speed, Scale, and Impact”: Skills Development Program Enters the Asia Book of Records

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“Speed, Scale, and Impact”: Skills Development Program Enters the Asia Book of Records

A Palladium-managed program in India’s Maharashtra State has qualified for the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records for the number of farmers assessed by a skills development program in a single day.

The Maharashtra Skills Development Program (MSDP) set the record on 15 July 2019, far exceeding the target of 1,800 by assessing 3,000 farmers.

Farming in Maharashtra State

Maharashtra State’s economy is agriculture-based, but farming is no longer a reliable source of income for many smallholders. They lack the information and access to agricultural inputs that they need to make farming viable. This is especially true as the farmers try to eke out a living on small family plots that have been subdivided through generations while having to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

To support smallholders and agricultural production, the Government of Maharashtra has been promoting group farming, where smallholder farmers share resources so that they can have better access to agricultural inputs and tools, ultimately leading to greater productivity and higher incomes.

Supporting Smallholders

Barbora Stankovicova, a director at Palladium in India, says, “We are successfully instilling the behaviours and beliefs of the small landholders to change their status-quo, and all this effort is happening at an unprecedented scale that is much needed for holistic, state-wide transformation.”

MSDP has been training farmers on group farming and connecting them with government schemes that support smallholders.

The program has three components:

  • Mass skilling to achieve behavioural change from individual farming to group farming

  • Business advisory services to nurture farmer producer organisations and provide value chain support

  • Skilling for employability to youth farmers to drive these farmer producer organisations.

“We are focused on speed, scale, and impact to achieve this agricultural transformation in Maharashtra,” explains Bobby Nimbalkar, Executive Vice President at Palladium’s joint venture partner AP Globale. 

“Speed, Scale, and Impact”: Skills Development Program Enters the Asia Book of Records

Assessment and Certification: Breaking a Record

After identifying farmers for participation and providing them with orientation and training in the field, MSDP assesses them through a written, oral, and practical exam. Those who pass are certified in group farming methods, which is the assessment that was recorded on 15 July.

15 July is the 4th anniversary of the Government of India’s launch of the National Skill Development Mission – a national government aim “to consolidate and coordinate skilling efforts” across sectors and states, and to “expedite decision making across sectors to achieve skilling at scale with speed and standards.” The record-breaking attempt is a way to mark this anniversary.

The farmers were assessed at 19 locations across four districts of Maharashtra State. All assessment centres were monitored by the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records.

Since its start in 2018, MSDP has trained more than 100,000 farmers Nearly 70,000 of these have received their group farming certification. By its completion in 2020, MSDP plans to train 300,000 farmers. The program is a pilot for agricultural skills training at scale, dwarfing all other similar programs in Maharashtra that came before.

MSDP is funded by the Government of India under the National Skills Development Corporation’s (NSDC) Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna. MSDP’s training is implemented by four organisations – the Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI), the Maharashtra State Skill Development Society (MSSDS), the Maharashtra State Council of Vocational Training (MSCVT), SIMACES Learning LLP, and Palladium.

This record attempt is jointly organised by the ASCI, the MSSDS, the MSCVT and SIMACES Learning LLP, and Palladium.

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No alternative to agro-based industries: Latur DC Shrikant

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No alternative to agro-based industries: Latur DC Shrikant

“A workshop was arranged for farmers, who were trained under ‘Sakal’ SIMASES Learning LLP and Palladium India.”

Latur: “Farmers not working in unification has created systems, which are exploiting them. If we want to defeat such systems, there is no alternative than to form agro-based industries. Like minded people should come together and think of increasing the farm produce besides upgrading the processing units by using latest technology,” said Latur District Collector G Shrikant.

He was speaking while inaugurating MSDP value-added services project and workshop, a part of Chatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Uduojakta Va Kaushalya Vikas Abhiyaan (Chatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme) on Friday.  

A workshop was arranged for farmers, who were trained under ‘Sakal’ SIMASES Learning LLP and Palladium India and wanted to establish an agro-industry. 

AP Globale Executive Vice President Bobby Nimbalkar, Palladium Consulting India Private Limited Country Director Barbora Stankovicova, District Superintendent Agriculture Officer Santosh Aalse, District Skill Development Centre’s Associate Director Raju Wakude, Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Deputy General Manager Akash More, Atma Project Director DL Jadhav, Agrowon Editor Adinath Chavan and Sakal Executive Editor Sanjay Warkad were also present.

Shrikant said, “The farmers should stay away from groups, factions and politics and come together for their economic development. If they come together to form companies, then they can get the benefits of various financial schemes of the government, banks and various organisations. The district administration will definitely help such farmers. The farmers will get the benefits of various government schemes if they have been associated with agro-based industries.”

Chavan gave the introduction, while Amit Joshi gave the project presentation. Two farmers, who received the training and registered for setting up agro industries, were given the certificates during the event. It included Murudeshwar and Wadwal Nagnath agro-based industries. Later, the experts held a discussion session regarding the marketing chain and financial management for the farmers who were given the letter of intent. 

Success stories that were presented during the function motivated many farmers who attended it to register their names for setting up agro-companies.

No alternative to agro-based industries: Latur DC Shrikant

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