Generating livelihood for tribal youth through agripreneurship development: Prospects, retrospect, constraints and strategies

Abstract

Tribal youth comprise of an entirely different segment, potentially resourceful and adventurous segment of the population and they are the unlucky cousins of urban and rural youth. Agriculture and allied activities support the livelihoods of nearly 70 per cent of India’s rural population. In recent years, land based livelihoods of tribal farmers are increasingly becoming unsustainable. Young people from tribal areas are currently entering the labour force as the tribal agriculture is primitive and backward resulting in low productivity. Several studies emphasized about poor and inadequate agricultural production from tribal lands accentuated the problem of maintaining tribal households at the subsistence level. The rural agrarian economy of tribal India rests on the shoulders of the young farmers and agriculture as vocation is uniquely positioned to absorb them. For appealing tribal youth and delivering good job opportunities, agriculture must break through a number of constraints that impede growth and competitiveness.