Introduction

Odisha, an agrarian state with over 55% of its rural workforce engaged in agriculture, has launched the Krushi Unnat Sahajogi (KUS) programme under the Directorate of Agriculture & Food Production. As part of the State Agriculture Policy 2020, this initiative aligns with the broader goal of shifting from mere production enhancement to ensuring farmer profitability through robust forward linkages.The KUS programme is an apprenticeship-based extension model that leverages the field potential of final-year undergraduate students in Agriculture and Horticulture. These students, designated as Agricultural Development Associates (ADAs), are deployed for 2.5–3 months at the block level under the guidance of Block Agriculture Officers. Working in groups of 3–4, they engage directly with farmers to support scheme implementation, perform field assessments, and aid in timely input delivery.

Key areas of engagement include pest surveillance, safe pesticide use, fertilizer availability, farm mechanization, and schemes like PMKSY and Soura Jalanidhi. Their activities are monitored via a custom mobile app developed by ADAPT (Analytics and Decision Support for Agricultural Policy Transformation), which captures attendance and report submissions using GPS tracking.

Objectives
Departmental – Increase awareness, monitor scheme performance, and identify implementation gaps.
Student-focused – Provide hands-on experience, exposure to government initiatives, and skill development.

Outcomes

The KUS programme serves a dual purpose: enhancing extension efficiency for the government and offering practical, skill-based training for students, thereby creating a pipeline of field-ready agricultural professionals while strengthening rural development initiatives.