Helping the YOUNG ENTREPREUNER IN NEW CROPS VARIETY CULTIVATION AND MECHANIZATION INNOVATION THROUGH THE WEBPAGE AND APPS. Chapter-1: Mission and Vision This platform of Young Entrepreneurs Group necessity in new crops cultivation and new mechanization. Chapter-2: Stakeholder Chapter-5: Reliability: Sustainability of this platform and comparative analysis with other website, online tools related to this topic. Target User or participant group Chapter-3: User Group questionnaire and data analysis Chapter-6: Website Management Maintenance, Support and Development Type of interview(FGD) to be conducted, User’s opinion as well as questionnaire analysis. Chapter-4: webpage/apps design with user centric content Content setup in webpage as per user’s centric response[webpage display] 4.1 Enhancement of skill through training 4.2Technical Assistance and feasibility checkup i. For new crops variety ii. For modern mechanization 4.3 Financial Assistance and rate of return analysis 4.4 Marketing and sales, distribution execution using this platform on 24x7 basis Presented By: Md. Nadim Sheikh, ID-2215296650 Chapter-1: Mission and Vision Globally, the average age of farmers is 60 years old, and young people are increasingly pursuing non-agricultural careers rather than following in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents (World Farmers’ Organization, 2017). Worldwide, populations are becoming younger, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 10 of the youngest countries in the world are located (Hutt, 2016). Youthful populations offer a great opportunity for many countries as the entrepreneurial and innovative energy of young people can help revitalize and enhance local economies. This is particularly true in the agricultural sector, where new technologies and innovative farming practices have the potential to enhance the sector’s productivity and effectiveness. However, young people do not automatically gravitate to farming. To see agriculture as a profitable and exciting career path, young people need education, technical training, and resources (such as land and finance). Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are already bringing new vibrancy and potential to agricultural practices around the world. Young people are more ready and eager to master these new technologies and apply them to agriculture to increase productivity and solve challenges. At the same time, these technologies can help demonstrate to youth that agriculture can be a viable and profitable business opportunity, increasing the desirability of agriculturerelated career paths. This case study explores the nexus of youth, technology, and agriculture, highlighting insights from a meta-analysis of efforts around the world — and particularly in U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS) countries — to engage youth in agriculture through ICTs. It begins with an analysis of the challenges hindering youth involvement in agriculture. These include: Family and community pressures Lack of perceived profitability Access to land Access to finance Access to education, technical training, and resource The case study continues with an analysis of potential opportunities to improve engagement with youth in agriculture, including: Shifting the perception of farming within rural families and communities Exposing youth to agriculture early on, incorporating all aspects of the value chain (rather than just farming) Increasing the profitability and productivity of farming and Introducing agriculture problems to youth to resolve them 2 Source: United Nations, via WEF This study is part of a series highlighting the integration of digital technologies into agricultural programs. Over the past 10 years, and particularly over the past five, the use of mobile phones and Internet-based, digital tools in farming activities has risen dramatically. This is largely due to the widespread adoption of mobile phones in developing and emerging markets, coupled with the spread of 3G and 4G connectivity. What has emerged is a broad set of digitally based applications that have driven greater financial inclusion, more precision in agriculture, better data collection and analysis, and more effective information dissemination. Agricultural organizations and programs are increasingly embracing these tools to advance their goals. Each of the first six case studies highlights specific organizations and their approaches to adoption of digital tools, including ways that these tools affect organizational culture, operations and programming. This study takes a slightly different approach, highlighting insights from a metaanalysis of efforts to engage youth in agriculture via information and communication technologies (ICTs). Challenges Hindering Youth Involvement in Agriculture: Globally, several challenges contribute to a shift in the ambitions of rural youth from agricultural to non-agricultural careers. Some of them are real, including tangible constraints in access to resources, such as land, finance, and training that prevent youth from pursuing profitable careers in agriculture. Others are perceived challenges, having more to do with the way young people think about careers in agriculture. Young people’s perceptions of agriculture are also influenced by the views and opinions of adults around them, including parents, relatives, and community members. Some of the most pervasive challenges hindering youth involvement in agriculture follow: 1. Family and community pressures: In many rural agricultural communities, parents encourage their children to seek out alternate career paths that will take them away from the difficult, 3 subsistence-based lifestyle of working on the family farm. This leads to a perception of agriculture as a “backup plan” for youth, or something that they will engage in only until they find their own, alternative, career path. 2. Perceived lack of profitability: Youth do not believe farming is a profitable career path. The seasonality of planting and harvesting adds to this perception, given that profits from farming can come many weeks or months after large financial investments in inputs, machinery, or labor at the beginning of the season. 3. Access to land: In many U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS) countries GFSS target countries are Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda. particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, land is a communal resource and must be passed down within a family, rented, or purchased. Though youth have opportunities to work on their parent’s land, and family land is often subdivided among the children, youth are limited in their ability to access new or additional land to begin or grow their own farms. 4. Access to finance: Financial resources are required for both on- and off-farm pursuits. This is a challenge for all demographic groups, but particularly so for youth who often lack collateral or other requirements for accessing credit from a bank. Youth access to finance is thus typically limited to family or community resources. Financial literacy also plays a role, as young people may not understand the importance of saving and financial planning or the steps required to access formal or informal financial services, particularly if the financial literacy of their parents or caregivers is also limited. 5. Access to training, education, and information: Agricultural knowledge is often passed down generationally and within communities, but youth particularly demand new knowledge, access to improved technologies, and an understanding of how to apply advanced techniques or grow new crops. Without a structured system to provide youth with this knowledge, many seek out other career paths. *GFSS target countries are Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda. (Source : ENGAGING YOUTH IN AGRICULTURE through Information and Communication Technologies BY USAID ) 4 Overview of Youth Population in Bangladesh: Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries globally, with a population of over 160 million. This is projected to grow to well over 190 million by 2050 (World Population Review 2021). Youth constitute about one-third of Bangladesh’s population. The government recognizes that there is a need to reap the benefits of the country's demographic dividend by empowering the youth population (Ministry of Youth and Sports, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh 2017). According to available data, the share of youth NEET fell from 30.1 percent in 2010 to 26.2 percent in 2019. Similar trends were witnessed for the share of rural and urban youth NEET (Table ). Table: Share of youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET) (%) Year 2010 2013 2016 2019 Source: ILOSTAT Total Rural Urban 30.1 30.4 28.9 26.2 30.8 31.2 29.8 26.8 28.1 28.4 26.8 24.8 Additionally, according to the Labor Force Survey 2016-17, the share of unemployed youth in total unemployment was 79.6 percent and unemployment was highest among youth having a secondary level of education (28 percent). This indicates that education is not empowering youth with the right set of skills to be employable in the economy and that the country is unable to fully benefit from its “demographic dividend” (Rahman, Bhattacharya, and Hasan 2018). Overview of Bangladeshi Youth Employed in the Agriculture Sector: As per the latest estimates, the agriculture sector employs approximately 38 percent of the Bangladeshi population and accounts for approximately 13 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) (World Bank 2020b). According to the Labor Force Survey 2016-17, the nature of youth employment is another key issue: at the country level, 89.1 percent of the employed youth population between the age of 15-29 is engaged in the informal sector, and in rural area 89.7 percent of employed youth between the age of 15-29 is engaged in the informal sector (Labor Force Survey 2016-17). In addition, an earlier labor force survey stated that a key reason that a large proportion of working population in the rural area is employed in the informal sector is because most rural area activity is associated with agriculture and small business-related services and sales (Labor Force Survey 2013). Thus, it is likely that a majority of rural youth population working in the informal sector are engaged in agriculture and small business-related services and sales. According to estimates, the share of Bangladesh’s youth employed in agriculture sector rose from about 44 percent in 2006 to approximately 52 percent in 2010 (Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies 2014; ILO 2013). 5 In recent years, several steps were taken to stimulate youth interest in agriculture and encourage entrepreneurial activities in the country. These steps include the focus on youth employment in agriculture through the 2017 National Youth Policy (NYP), skills-based initiatives by the government organization Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), and other organizations such as Gram Bikash Kendra Enterprise (GBK-E) and Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture Bangladesh (SFSA). 1) Policy and Regulatory Environment: Some key policy initiatives focusing on youth employment, entrepreneurship, and the overall agriculture sector are discussed below. National Youth Policy (NYP), 2017 One of the key drivers identified for successful youth entrepreneurship is the presence of a national youth policy. In Bangladesh, such a policy exists – the 2017 NYP. The policy targets all young people in Bangladesh, including unemployed youth, youth in agriculture, rural youth, and YEs ((Ministry of Youth and Sports, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh 2017)). Some of the key strategies discussed in the policy document include: i. Make the necessary investment and provide incentives for youth to engage in the development of agriculture. ii. Ensure food security for the present and future generations by investing in education and research on agriculture. iii. Motivate youth toward innovative use of natural resources in the country. iv. Engage youth in building social awareness about the best and most efficient use of minerals and all other natural resources. v. Provide comprehensive entrepreneurship training for youth who are so intending. vi. Create opportunities for youth to grow as drivers of the rural economy by utilizing their endeavor and skill and give them priority in sanction of the lease of Khaas (belonging to the government) agricultural land, ponds and “Jolmohal (natural large water body)”. vii. Establish a Youth Bank. viii. Bring all young men and women under the banking and insurance system. ix. Establish business incubators for giving practical advice to YEs. x. Take special measures to showcase and market products by YEs at home and abroad. The 2017 NYP also focuses on other key policy drivers such as access to credit by creating a youth bank and covering the youth under the banking and insurance system. There is also a focus on creating opportunities for export promotion (Ministry of Youth and Sports, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh 2017). It is worth noting that for several domains, including providing incentives to engage in agriculture, access to credit, export promotion, and skills development, the policy does not outline any specific strategies for implementation, nor does it specify any targets for the aspects it covers. 6 Import expenditure for Agricultural & Horticulture Products: 2020-2021 Commodities Cocoa beans Coffee Soyabeans oilseeds Asparagus Carrots Cashewnuts Cinnamon (daruchini) Cloves (labanga) Cumin (Zira) Dried fruits Fresh fruits Garlic Ginger Mushrooms Nutmeg Pepper (all sorts) Sweet peppers Tomato Turmeric 2019-2020 Taka' 000 1077 29317 88535881 12145 257723 319624 978698 USD' 000 13 346 1043972 143 3039 3769 11541 Taka' 000 24 32958 65518521 3034 154617 133855 1205499 USD' 000 0 389 772462 36 1827 1578 14224 583213 6596607 688959 37409154 5766021 7334122 741 95,627 9,826,904 822,233 479,544 3,669,118 6877 77782 8124 441126 67990 86479 9 1,128 115,874 9,696 5,655 43,263 405631 5103866 585239 25517811 7978158 9055828 98 52,884 6,080,279 142,133 304,660 2,354,789 4783 60197 6902 300922 94087 106829 1 624 71,696 1,679 3,598 27,765 [Source: Bangladesh Bank Annual Report] 7 2020-2021 Import Expenditure of agri item Cocoa beans Coffee Soyabeans oilseeds Asparagus Carrots Cashewnuts Cinnamon (daruchini) Cloves (labanga) Cumin (Zira) Dried fruits Fresh fruits Garlic Ginger Mushrooms Nutmeg Pepper (all sorts) Sweet peppers Tomato Turmeric 8 Import expenditure for Machineries : 2020-2021 Machineries Agricultural tractors Agricultural water pump and parts Combine harvesters-threshers Harrows, scarifiers, cultivators, weeders and hoes, other machinery & parts Milking machines & dairy machinery & parts Other agricultural, hoticultural, etc & poultry etc equip, inc incubators, pts Other harvesting or threshing machinery, cleaning eggs etc 2019-2020 Taka' 000 4,972,836 8,158,405 USD' 000 58,639 96,200 Taka' 000 5,241,960 9,117,694 USD' 000 61,827 107,485 3,778,323 44,554 1,582,587 18,661 3,887,579 45,841 3,821,479 45,100 150,870 1,779 2,918,884 34,453 10,640,603 125,466 13,111,253 154,451 2,114,735 24,936 2,239,638 26,415 9 2020-2021 Import Expenditure of Agri machinery 6% 15% 32% 24% 0% 12% 11% Agricultural tractors Agricultural water pump and parts Combine harvesters-threshers Harrows, scarifiers, cultivators, weeders and hoes, other machinery & parts Milking machines & dairy machinery & parts Other agricultural, hoticultural, etc & poultry etc equip, inc incubators, pts Bangladesh Bank Annual Other harvesting or threshing machinery,[Source: cleaning eggs etc Report] Chapter-2: Stakeholder Target User or Participant group: Youth in agriculture, rural youth, and YEs in diversified crops production such as given below Fruit Gardener like Malta,Orange, Promgranate and Dragon fruits etc. Youth engaged in Strawberry, Grape, Casewnut, Almond cultivation etc Youth engaged in coffee beans,Cocoa production. Youth engaged in capsicum, asparagus and diversified vegetable grower. Youth engaged in agriculture technology innovation like organic process quality management like organic fertilizer production. 10 Youth engaged in machinery like MiniTructor, weeder, polytunnel to modern greenhouse technology etc. Youth engaged in faces with climate changes etc. Youth willing to engage in to diversified cultivation and technology innovation etc. Institutional stakeholder include Govt. related agriculture Department, NGO, international agency like IFAD, FAO etc and local association body. Chapter-3: User Group questionnaire and data analysis To design a web based platform the following Type of interview (FGD basis ) is conducted and collecting the data. These data is presented in tabular form for questionnaire analysis. 3.1 In case of new crops variety cultivation young group response: Questionnaire Name of Young agrientrepreneur 1.Sohan , Chuadanga sadar (Malta,Orange and Veg gardener) 2.Sakhawat Hossen, 1.How Do you think this type of new crop variety is prospective? 2.What kind of cooperation is required for your initiative? 3.Could you tell the reason choosing this type of your new crops? 4.What is your assumption regarding crops cultivation process? 5.How do you feel about your profit earning strategy through marketing? Due to high from Govt/other demand sources seed and price collection and technology/financial help and agri insurance/certificati on like Halal certification local variety is lower rearing and quality not upto mark. learned from family based agri knowledge by own manageme nt do do marketing through online and reliable distribution network setup and export purpose a online platform is necessary do do need financial help 11 Questionnaire Name of Young agrientrepreneur vagirothpur,Chuadanga ,(malta ) 3.Mobarak Hossain,Pomegranate grower, Darsona 4.moklesur rahman,mixed fruit gardener,sarojganj 5.Doliluddin Mollah,Veg grower, 6.Haris Chowdhury,veg grower,chuadanga ,jinnotpur 7.Md. Sanoar Hossen,Cofee bean grower,modhupur,Tan gail 1.How Do you think this type of new crop variety is prospective? 2.What kind of cooperation is required for your initiative? 3.Could you tell the reason choosing this type of your new crops? 4.What is your assumption regarding crops cultivation process? 5.How do you feel about your profit earning strategy through marketing? do need technical help do do do do do do do do do need accreditation do do do do need accreditation do do do do no need such help do partially agreed do 3.2 In case of Mechanization innovation in agriculture young group response: Questionnaire Name of Young agrientrepreneur 1.Md. Rabiul, al madina engineering, minitractor,weeder machine maker 1.How do you think mechanization will improve the agricultural system? 2.How do you know about this type of technology? 3.In What kind of sector of agriculture this machinery will be used? 4.What is the main benefits and drawback of this machinery? How could minimize this drawback? 5.How do you expect return through your marketing strategy? reduction on physical labor and accuracy in cultivation from imported machinery and necessity for Gardener and vegetable grower low invest high return on cultivation. seed money is high so need financial need financial and strong buy sell platform. 12 Questionnaire Name of Young agrientrepreneur 2. Janata Engineering ,chuadanga 1.How do you think mechanization will improve the agricultural system? 2.How do you know about this type of technology? 3.In What kind of sector of agriculture this machinery will be used? do do do 4.What is the main benefits and drawback of this machinery? How could minimize this drawback? support do 5.How do you expect return through your marketing strategy? do 3.3 The above Data analysis of need based cooperation for YE: YE's Demanded Assistance in % 120 100 80 60 40 20 n io n/ Ce rti fic at io di st rib ut io n ed ac cr ke tin g sis t as Participants an ce in m ar ita t an d cia l fin an te ch ni ca la ss is as si s ta ta nc e nc e 0 13 Chapter-4: webpage/apps design with user centric content Information and communication technologies (ICTs) including mobile phones and Internet-based digital tools are bringing new vibrancy and potential to agricultural practices worldwide. These tools and approaches can help address a number of challenges to the future of our food supply, including limited arable land, increased unpredictability of weather patterns, and food losses (both on- and off-farm). However, leveraging these tools to their fullest potential requires a new set of skills and technical expertise. Young people are often more ready and eager to master these new technologies and apply them to agriculture to increase productivity and solve challenges (World Farmers’ Organization, 2017). At the same time, these technologies can help demonstrate to youth how agriculture can be a viable and profitable business opportunity, increasing the desirably of agriculture-related career paths, in lieu of alternatives youth might otherwise be seeking. Using above user requirement and data analysis the following webpage is designed to support YE’s. 14 As per user’s centric response this platform provide Marketing and sales, distribution execution using this platform on 24x7 basis Financial Assistance and rate of return analysis Technical Assistance and feasibility checkup For new crops variety and For modern mechanization Enhancement of skill through online training Through Classified Advertisement Through accreditation, donor group and expert panel certification etc. Chapter-5: Reliability: This platform provide accreditation through expert group certification and all assistance are provided by strong supervision of quality controller so there is a realiable qualitatitve assurance. Also in case of buy/sell this platform deal with software tools from market place to delivery destination. Similar apps is found namely PLANTIX in our country to help diagnosis regular plant disease and cultivation tips only but not other specification found like cause and effect. Whose main image feature are given below: 15 Dream Agritech is an agricultural consulting firm in the Philippines founded and run by a group of young agricultural professionals. The organization was started by a group of classmates studying different branches of agriculture in university, with the aim of becoming a “one-stop shop” of knowledge for clients, who are often landowners without a background in agriculture. The firm provides guidance on how landowners can operate their farms effectively even if they are relative beginners in the industry. 16 YouthMappers in Ghana, ICT for Agri (Nepal) have the Cooperative web platform to farmers on regular approach. Chapter-6: Website/Virtual Management When designing programs or projects that incorporate digital and mobile technologies to engage youth in agricultural pursuits, it is important to consider the Principles for Digital Development, a set of nine simple concepts to guide organizations in their use of digital tools for maximum impact and sustainability. It is intended to be an illustrative, rather than comprehensive, portrayal of how the Digital Principles apply in practice. Design With the User. ... Understand the Existing Ecosystem. ... Design for Scale. ... Build for Sustainability. ... Be Data Driven. ... Use Open Standards, Open Data, Open Source, and Open Innovation. ... Reuse and Improve. ... Address Privacy & Security. Be Collaborative… With considering the above principle and proper Maintenance, Support and Development this platform will be operated. 17