In a bid to promote agri-entrepreneurship in the State, tractors and mechanised farm implements manufacturer New Holland Fiat India has joined hands with the State Government to provide skills training focused on agriculture sector to the unemployed rural youth.
The company on Thursday launched the first Agri Training Centre at Odisha Farm Machinery Research and Development Centre here.
Inaugurated by Director of Agriculture and Food Production RS Gopalan, the Centre would provide training on skills like serviceability of tractors, upkeep and maintenance, overhauling of major aggregates of tractors as well as repair and maintenance of other mechanised agricultural equipment.
Spread over 2,000 sq ft, the centre is geared to train around 500 youths in the first year and 1,000 from the second year. It would offer two programmes _ one of 25-day duration and another of 60 days. The programmes would be residential in nature.
Managing Director of New Holland Fiat-India Rakesh Malhotra expressed commitment to the programme and asserted that it would act as a catalyst for increased productivity in agriculture.
This would also create a new breed of entrepreneurs and open up more employment opportunities for the rural youth as farm mechanisation is poised for significant growth in the near future.
“Decreasing availability of labour and realisation of the benefits of mechanised agriculture are set to generate huge demand for implements, their repair and maintenance. The tractor market is growing by around 10 per cent a year while new markets are being created for other implements. In five years we aim to churn out a breed of around 10,000 professionals,” Malhotra said.