Shillong, Mar 17: Youth-led initiatives are increasingly shaping the future of agriculture and rural development in the North Eastern region of India.
One such inspiring example is AK Azad, the CEO and co-founder of North East Agriculture and Rural Development Foundation (NEARD). Through his vision, commitment and community-based approach, he has been working towards improving farming practices, empowering rural communities and promoting sustainable development across the region, according to a feature provided by the College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences at Umiam.
Azad, a 31-year-old graduate in agriculture, hails from Bhaitbari in West Garo Hills. Driven by a strong passion for rural development and sustainable agriculture, he established the NEARD with the objective of addressing some of the fundamental challenges faced by farmers and rural communities.
With an initial corpus fund of Rs 15 lakh, Azad laid the foundation for an organisation that aims to bring positive change to rural livelihoods.
The idea behind establishing the foundation stemmed from Azad’s observation of several persistent challenges in rural agricultural systems. In many areas, farmers were largely dependent on unscientific farming practices and mono-cropping, which gradually led to declining soil health, crop losses and inefficient water utilisation. Additionally, there was limited awareness among farmers regarding government agricultural schemes, modern technologies and the potential use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in agriculture.
Apart from agricultural issues, other concerns such as limited access to quality education, weak community cohesiveness and lack of opportunities for women’s empowerment further highlighted the need for an integrated development initiative. Motivated by these challenges, Azad envisioned an organisation that could address these issues holistically, ultimately leading to the establishment of NEARD.
The journey of the foundation began with village-level meetings and consultations with farmers and community members. Through these discussions, Azad and his team conducted a comprehensive needs assessment to better understand the problems faced by rural households and agricultural communities. The foundation was established with the aim of promoting sustainable agriculture, enhancing rural livelihoods and strengthening community participation in development initiatives.
Like many grassroots initiatives, the foundation encountered several challenges during its early stages. Mobilising communities and encouraging collective participation proved difficult due to limited awareness, illiteracy and conservative social attitudes prevalent in certain rural areas.
In addition, resistance to adopting new technologies, lack of technical knowledge and weak community cohesion slowed the initial progress of several initiatives. Addressing these challenges required continuous engagement with farmers, awareness programmes, and persistent efforts to build trust within communities.
For Azad, these challenges became the driving force behind his mission. He recognised that if such issues remained unresolved, many rural communities would continue to remain stagnant in an era of rapid technological advancement, increasing competitiveness and digital transformation. Bridging this developmental gap and empowering rural populations became the central motivation behind the work of NEARD.
To address the challenges faced by farmers and rural communities, the foundation implemented several important interventions.
One of the major initiatives focused on soil health restoration, where farmers from 21 villages were mobilised to cultivate pulse crops as part of crop rotation practices. This approach has gradually evolved into a sustainable cropping pattern that helps improve soil fertility.
The foundation also promoted diversified farming systems by introducing millet cultivation, other non-traditional crops, and nutritional kitchen gardens, thereby improving both income opportunities and household nutrition.
Recognising the importance of water management, NEARD collaborated with government programmes to develop a village irrigation plan. As part of this effort, 31 irrigation channels were constructed, significantly improving water use efficiency and supporting agricultural productivity.
Another important initiative involved the development of a fisheries cluster in WGH, which has created new livelihood opportunities for local communities through fish farming.
The foundation also established a training and capacity-building centre to implement programmes such as PMKVY. Through these initiatives, more than 3,000 women from self-help groups (SHGs) and 1,200 farmers have received training and skill development support.
Understanding that education plays a crucial role in long-term development, the foundation also established Little Gems Public School, which currently provides education to over 1,000 students from nursery to Class 10.
The journey of Azad demonstrates how visionary leadership, grassroots engagement and innovative thinking can create lasting change in rural areas. His work through NEARD stands as an example of how young leaders can transform local challenges into opportunities for sustainable agricultural growth and rural empowerment in the North East.
