Letters: Start-ups in farming

Columnist R Gopalakrishnan is right when he says that "what makes a vocation progressive or backward largely depends on how you do it rather than what you do" ("Intelligent farming", November 13). If more agricultural professionals and entrepreneurs realised this, it would help them turn into real practitioners and also encourage start-up activity in this field.

Agricultural business ventures should provide an array of integrated services so that even a small farmer may be able to make profits. Management institutes such as the Indian School of Business and the Indian Institute of Management should consider starting crash courses in agricultural business ventures with no age bar for applicants. Institutes such as MANAGE - set up as the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management in 1987 - in Hyderabad may design programmes along similar lines and also collaborate with other institutes in this regard.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, with its network of institutions, including the state agricultural universities, may bring in changes on the ground. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development being the apex body for integration of money and manpower may stipulate the requirements, having worked with various stakeholders over a long period.

This is the right time for everyone concerned to act.

Prof R Ganesan, Coimbatore

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