Dr. Eaknath B. Chakurkar, Director, ICAR, Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute from Goa addressing the participants
To update the essential knowledge and skills on the recent developments in the field of agriculture and veterinary sciences, and to provide necessary platform to gain knowledge about entrepreneurial opportunities, a course on “Updating Skill and Knowledge of Future Livestock Entrepreneurs among Agriculture Students and Veterinarians” was organised on 13 to 14 February 2021 under NAHEP-IDP at UAS, Dharwad to agriculture and veterinarian students and staff. Dr. Eaknath B. Chakurkar, Director, ICAR, Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute from Goa was invited as a chief guest for function. Shri. Imam Nadaf, My Way Ready Garments Company, Sindagi, Bijapur, explained his own entrepreneurship on livestock and statistic of income with an example. He advised to students that create opportunity rather than waiting for opportunity. Dr. Kishore, Associate Professor, Dept of ABM, ANGRAU (AP) explained about the marketing management and Dr. Kashinath Malali, explained about the hydroponics and silage as entrepreneurial opportunities in India.
Mr. Santosh Pogad, Krishik Agro Farm Developers, Kotabal, Karnataka, explained on entrepreneurial opportunities in fodder production and he also suggested that fodder revolutions is the need of hour to promote agricultural entrepreneurship. Dr. Sathish Shivachandra, Principal Scientist, ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, Bengaluru, explained about the availability of 300+ incubators functioning in India and current schemes for startups and also funding agencies to build entrepreneurship and agribusiness ecosystem in the country.
During the valedictory function Dr. Eaknath B. Chakurkar expressed that around the year 2025 the entire country will be filled with younger population, youth becomes jobless because of declining government job and to stop migration, it is the time to expose surplus of incubator available in India to make use of the opportunities in livestock and agriculture and such programmes will definitely bring solutions to the young generation. He also said that livestock and agriculture provide high quality food, income and employment, which significantly impacts on farm productivity through provision of draft power and manure for crop production and also sustains farming and economic stability. It is the time for major investment on startups and to start entrepreneurship to grow economically and make Atmanirbhar Bharat. Dr. M. B. Chetti, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, expressed that farm university students should become future assets of nation as well as institution by using the opportunity available in the university and give service to the people rather than asking for service during his presidential address. Around 160 participants including agriculture and veterinary students and staff grabbed the opportunity of this course. The programme was organised by Dr. A. S. Patil, Dr. Anil Kumar, G. K. and Dr. Bhageerathi P., Department of Veterinary Sciences, UAS, Dharwad.