Govt asks private companies to invest in agri-extension

The government on Thursday called upon private companies to invest in a big way to provide agricultural extension services for the farming community. Agri-extension services focus on educating farmers about the application of scientific research and new knowledge of agri-practices. At present, farm extensions services are being provided mainly by the public sector.

"In pockets, private extensions have also displayed their role in extending commodity specific knowledge and advisory to the farmers but we expect that the corporate houses will come in a bigger way to serve the society especially marginal, poor and landless farmers," Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said while addressing an ICAR event here. Public extension system is being done through two approaches: field extension pursued by the development departments and frontline extension undertaken by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and agri-universities via Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), he said in a statement. "Our focus is on strengthening both these arms of extension," Singh said, adding that the government has launched a 'Kisan TV channel' keeping view the lack of infrastructure in reaching individual farmers.

The minister said the challenge of extension services for future is to educate farmers about climate change, excess use of fertilizer and shrinking resources, among others. He also emphasised on the need to achieve both food and nutritional security. "Besides food security, nutritional security has been a concern and this has to be appropriately dealt," the minister added.

Singh also mentioned that schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Soil Health Card Scheme, Prampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana and National Agricultural Market will "revolutionize" agriculture in years to come. The government is seriously debating on bringing out a viable insurance scheme for farmers, he added.