Create agri-knowledge data for NextGen farmers: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

NEW DELHI: More efforts are required to put in place agri-knowledge in a way that is easily available for next generation farmers, Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said today.

At present, Directorate of Knowledge Management in Agriculture ( DKM) under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has mandate to disseminate ICAR technologies, policies and other activities to different stakeholders.

"We need to keep pace with the fast changing world. We have gamut of agri-knowledge and we have been disseminating in traditional manner. Now, we need to think keeping in mind the next generation farmers who have access of phones and internet," Shekhawat said addressing a workshop here.

With increase in use of mobile phones and internet, the data related to new agri-innovation, technologies and policies need to be packaged in a way that is easily available and can be put to use, the minister said.

There is a need to engage next generation farmers else they will shift out of farming, he added.

Stating that agriculture is knowledge intensive activity and farmers need help at every stage, the minister said better management and dissemination of the agri-knowledge will boost agriculture sector and improve farmers' livelihood.

This will also help achieve the target of doubling farmers' income by 2022, he added.

The two-day workshop organised by DKM will deliberate and prepare a roadmap for agricultural knowledge management in India.