Youth Farmer Leadership Programme Opens Applications for Second Cohort
Building on a successful inaugural cohort, NASFAM is accepting applications from young farmers aged 18–35 for a structured leadership and enterprise development programme.
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NASFAM is accepting applications for the second cohort of its Youth Farmer Leadership Programme, a structured 12-month initiative designed to develop the commercial farming skills, associational leadership capacity, and enterprise management abilities of young farmers aged 18 to 35 who are active members of NASFAM district associations.
The inaugural cohort, which concluded in March, included 45 participants drawn from 18 district associations. End-of-programme assessments showed significant improvements in participants' understanding of market systems, financial management, and group governance — skills that graduates have already begun applying in their home associations, with several taking on formal leadership roles.
The second cohort will build on the inaugural curriculum with additional modules on digital record-keeping, climate-adaptive enterprise planning, and negotiation skills for structured market arrangements. Field placements will be integrated into the programme to give participants direct experience of running commodity aggregation activities at association level.
Applications are open to any NASFAM member farmer aged 18 to 35 who can demonstrate active involvement in their local association and commitment to a 12-month participation schedule. Association chairpersons are encouraged to nominate promising young farmers, and self-nominations will also be accepted. The application deadline is 30 June 2026.