TCS partners MP in farmer education

To educate farmers on the agriculture extension schemes, the Madhya Pradesh government will hire 3,000 field workers, and set up "Krishak Pathshalas" and 6,000 community service centres.

"Tata Consultancy Services will play an active role in setting up community service centres, which will provide information on farm-related activities liking tilling, pest control, etc," a senior government official in the agriculture department told Business Standard.

The state government will also enter into the process of recruiting agriculture extension officers (AEOs). The recruitment has been frozen since 1993-94 and the department of agriculture is falling short of skilled staff.

"We will set up these Krishak Pathshalas (Farmers' Schools) soon and will recruit at least 3,000 agri-extension officers or field workers. At present, we have 11,000 field workers but we need more skilled staff," said Pravesh Sharma, secretary of state agriculture department.

The department has a plan to recruit these workers on performance basis with basic qualification criteria of 10+2. Building coalition with private sector, non-government organisations, community and formal education institution are also in the pipeline.

Despite innovations in agri-technology, rise in tractor sales, increase in bank credit, the agriculture sector has posted a minuscule rise of 1 per cent in Madhya Pradesh during the last decade.

"Agriculture poses more risk, than putting money in saving deposits, because the yield is stagnant, and scientists are unaware of local diseases, pests and insects. They bank upon imported technology, chemicals and formulations. These are few reasons for farming not being a lucrative business in the state," said a senior official, in the police department.

He comes from a farmer background and has cultivated good results after doing some experiments on local fields. The increasing pace of urbanisation has also forced farmers to quit traditional farming and join the big league of manufacturing or service sector.

According to the state planning, economics and statistics department, the contribution of agriculture, including forests, fisheries and mining, to gross state domestic product on current prices has reduced from 27.28 per cent to 23.99 per cent.

It has also reduced from 27 per cent to 23.79 per cent on constant price (base year 1993-94).