GUWAHATI, May 30 � In what could be a sign of positive development in the State where unemployment is growing and a section of the youths is running after easy money, a few well-educated young men have come forward to toil in the fields and earn their livelihood.
Participating in a workshop for agricultural entrepreneurs conducted in the city on Monday by the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited, a Government of India enterprise, under the aegis of the North Eastern Council, these youths stated that they wanted to set an example in self-employment.
It needs to be mentioned here that more than 60 young men and women from different parts of the State attended the workshop aimed at capacity building of the agricultural entrepreneurs and facilitated by voluntary organisation Jeevan Initiative.
One of the participants Pranab Kumar Roy of Abhayapuri, an MBA who resisted a handsome pay package and a luxurious life in some metro, is concentrating on expansion of his poultry farm. �I am happy to start my own business, but there is a need to improve the credit system. As of now, many people like me face a lot of difficulties in getting credit for starting business,� said Pranab.
Another youth participating in the workshop, Bhaskar Roy, agreeing with Pranab, said that aspiring entrepreneurs have to run from pillar to post to obtain credit. Bhaskar has done his Masters in Information Technology and joined hands with Pranab to venture into different agriculture-related business.�I have benefited from this workshop and it will help me in expansion of my enterprise,� said Bhaskar.
Farmer and businessman Arup Sarma of Nalbari said that to motivate agricultural entrepreneurs, credit should be made easy and smaller projects should be encouraged. �There is scope for agricultural entrepreneurs in the region,� he said.
