Chandigarh, May 16 (IANS): With farming no longer being considered financially viable, Punjab has proposed imparting skills to unemployed youth in the agriculture and allied sectors and promoting existing farm practices on scientific and modern lines to up-skill farmers and farm labour.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday announced the setting up of a 'State Advisory Council for Agriculture Skills' to coordinate with the Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI).

It will prepare a comprehensive time-bound action programme for imparting skills to the unemployed youth in the agriculture sector.

This was decided at a meeting of the Punjab government, led by the chief minister, with a delegation of ASCI led by chairman Sanjeev Asthana here on Saturday.

"Upgradation of skills in the agriculture and allied sectors is the need of the hour and the state government is all set to extend fulsome support and cooperation to implement the skill development programme in the agrarian sector," Badal said.

Punjab, the country's 'green revolution' state, has led on the agriculture front since the 1960s. The state contributes over 50 percent of the food grains to the national kitty despite having just 1.54 percent of the country's geographical area.

Badal also gave approval to leading farm mechanisation company John Deere to set up a Centre of Excellence (COE) in affordable farm mechanisation to encourage farmers to adopt the latest farm practices to enhance their yield.

Asthana said there was a need to improve the economic lot of farmers engaged in agriculture and other allied professions like dairy, animal husbandry and others.