A winter school on ‘Contemporary Agripreneurship Venture for the Empowerment of Rural Youth in the North East Hill Region’ was held at the ICAR Research Complex for the NEH Region, Umiam today.
Funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the three-week programme ran from February 18 and provided an intensive platform for capacity building and skill development among young agripreneurs and professionals.
The winter school was coordinated under the guidance of BP Singh, Principal Scientist & Head, Division of Technology Assessment & Capacity Building (DTAC), who served as the course director. The programme witnessed participation from multiple states across India, including Assam, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
The training comprised expert lectures, interactive discussions, practical demonstrations and exposure visits, covering various aspects of agripreneurship, rural business opportunities and value chain development. Sessions focused on effective communication strategies, value chain analysis of high-value crops, natural farming, aquaculture, digital agribusiness models, agritech startups, financial planning for agribusiness and women empowerment through entrepreneurship. Participants also had hands-on exposure to food processing units, bio-pesticide laboratories and agro-tourism models to enhance their practical understanding.
Speaking on the significance of the event, VK Mishra, Director ICAR RC NEH, emphasised that agripreneurship is necessary to drive rural transformation and sustainable livelihood generation in the North East and beyond.
