A 'Krishi Parivartan Yatra' organised by NAIP to promote cross-learning and sharing of new agri-ventures among farmers across the country was today kick-started by the city-based International Crop Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
The yatra (by train journey from Hyderabad to New Delhi) takes 50 farmers and entrepreneurs, who are beneficiaries of the World Bank-funded National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), on a five-city tour - Hyderabad, Nagpur, Bhopal, Mathura and Delhi - from today for nine days, to share new technologies and agri-ventures with fellow farmers.
"We today start this yatra from Hyderabad and these beneficiaries will speak to other farmers and entrepreneurs. This activity is to share experiences of the successful cases, develop network of entrepreneurs and create awareness about the technologies. It will strengthen agribusiness and boost the transformation of Indian agriculture," NAIP national director D Rama Rao told reporters here.
The yatra will conclude and culminate into the Agri-Innovation Conclave in New Delhi on May 18.
"Innovation in agriculture is widely considered as the key to achieve food security. To actualise this vast untapped potential of Indian agriculture, this Krishi Parivartan Yatra is being organised to bring to the fore the unlimited opportunities that agriculture and agribusiness offer," Rao said.
Over the last five years, 22 agribusiness incubators (also known as business planning and development units) have been set up across the country in agricultural universities and research institutes by NAIP-ICAR with support and mentoring by ICRISAT's agribusiness incubation.
"Today we have been able to sell more than 330 technologies at a value of almost Rs 24 crore," Rao said.
BPDs (business planning and development units) have not only done the commercialisation but they have also done a very strong incubation programme nurturing the youth and showed them the entrepreneurship opportunities, he said.
"Our mission is to make small-holder farmers in the drylands prosperous, not just self-sufficient. And that is why we are engaged in promoting an inclusive and technology-based entrepreneurship and agribusiness programme," ICRISAT (DG-OIC) Joanna Kane-Potaka said, adding that this event is all about to scale up the innovations already happened in agriculture in India and to further reach more number of farmers.
