Project SHARE, is a comprehensive agri extension programme aimed at increasing the income of corn and cotton growers in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra through sustainable yield enhancement approach. 10,000 farmers are enrolled under the project and are divided in 400 groups across 22 blocks in the above three states. These farmers are given training in groups on pre-sowing practices, Integrated Nutrient Management, Integrated Pest Management, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and post-harvest technology. They are also being provided hand-holding support for market linkages. In the current financial year, 850 acres of land has been selected for demonstration of cotton and corn crop in target regions.

Monthly update

At the end of April 2012, Project SHARE has completed 30th month of its magical sojourn with the farmers. A dedicated team of ISAP is carrying out successful interventions on cropping practices, Water Harvesting and Resource Conservation and Social Development Initiatives. A team of internal and external experts is engaged in carrying out extension services effectively, imparting knowledge, and upgrading skills and capacities of farmers through trainings, education campaigns, exposure visits, field demonstrations and other initiatives of the project. During the month of April, farmers’ field for crop demonstrations in 850 acres have been identified along with the GPS coordinates. Soil samples from all the demonstration fields have been collected and sent to Soil Testing Laboratory for analysis.

Third round of pre sowing INM, IPM trainings was initiated in Bundi, Bhilwara, Adilabad & Amravati covering more than 2170 project and fellow farmers. During the trainings prime focus was on laggard farmers. Besides the trainings, other activities of the project were also undertaken; Kisan Gosthis, Farmer Scientist interactions, field day, SHG Skill Development Programmes. 20 SHARE Farmer Groups have been identified for enrolment as Farmer Club under NABARD Scheme in Hindoli block.

In this month CNBC media team visited project area in Bhilwara district where Sustainable Yield Initiative has made a visible impact by way of Water Harvesting and Conservation of Resources. A young farmer Jagdish Singh, 28, from Guda village was interviewed, who has initiated diversification in Agriculture through Papaya nursery, maize cultivation and vermicompost production. He is a SHARE ‘Farmer Opinion Leader’ educating other farmers about the beneficial changes that can be brought about in his cluster of villages. CNBC team felt convinced about him as a role model for other farmers in rainfed areas of Bhilwara.

ISAP is embarking on setting up third Anicut for Water Harvesting in Fatehpur village of Jahazpur block in Bhilwara district. A feasibility study has been completed and user group formed has taken ‘No Objection Certificate’ from village panchayat. Local MLA with the SHARE farmers and community will lay the foundation stone on 6th of May 2012.

Winter Maize demos are successfully progressing and more than 50% plots are producing green cobs. Farmers in Jahazpur and Shahpura are selling green cobs and using the green fodder for feeding the milch animals. Also, the farmers have successfully harvested winter crop of gram, barley and wheat with measurable increase in income (almost double) as compared to 2009 income.

In Amravati, Project SHARE SHG’s of Daryapur block participated in Krishi Mela and sold the indigenously made eatable products. Farmer Group from Dighi village also participated in this mela.

OCP AES Project, Karnataka

The OCP Agricultural Extension Services (AES) project is primarily aimed at improving the productivity of pigeon-pea in select region of northern Karnataka through promotion of comprehensive soil health improvement program, nutrient management and crop cultivation  techniques. 3,000 farmers from Gulbarga, Bidar and Raichur districts are enrolled under this program. All the farmers under this project are provided with a Soil Health Card (SHC) pertaining to their field and on this basis, they are provided regular advisories through various modes of ICT aswell as by way of  practical field demonstrations. 

Monthly Update

In OCP AES Project, focus on Soil Health Initiative is continuing with the support of Soil Scientist Dr. K L Chawla. A Soil Fertility Map has been prepared covering all project villages. Testing of 3000 soil samples is in progress for analysis of NPK, Sulphur, Zinc, Iron, Molybdenum, Boron and it will be completed in the month of May. The Soil Health Cards with advisory will be issued to farmers before sowing commences.

Pre Sowing trainings have been initiated. So far, 1860 farmers of 62 Farmer Groups have been trained for kharif cultivation. In this project too, focus was mainly on the laggards and farmers other than project farmers, especially with the help of successful project farmers. Project farmers from Aland registered their Farmer Producer Organisation as Aland Farmers Federation under Society Registration Act and for initiating group business, funds are being mobilized.

ICT support to project farmers through KCC toll free helpline no 18004255052 is ongoing. During this month 2150 calls from farmers were responded. With this, cumulative total farmers’ query has touched  50,164 calls. Besides this, information through text messages has also been sent twice a week.

500 acres demonstration fields have been identified with their GPS coordinates. Preparatory work for other initiatives for Year 2012 like Water Harvesting Structures, Aggregation Centres, Warehouses, Setting up of Dal Mill, Farm Machinery Centre is continuing.

Progress of FPO under NVI project in Rajasthan and Maharashtra

(A Joint initiative of SFAC, GoI & State Departments of Agriculture)

In Maharashtra, ISAP has mobilized total 4760 farmers and has created 238 Farmer Interest Groups and in Rajasthan, 5000 farmers with 193 FIGs have been created.  In both the states the first round of training of farmer leaders has been completed for efficient and effective group working and for enhancing their marketable surpluses. Work has been initiated for estimating the crop volumes from farmer’s groups. Similarly, discussions for identification of business opportunities have been initiated. Based on these data, the process of developing business plan for the FPO’s will start.

FPO Pulses in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

Farmer mobilisation phase has been completed in Sawaimadhopur, Tonk and Bhilwara districts in Rajasthan, Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh and Bidar in Karnataka. 727 farmer interest Groups covering 15791 farmers have been formed for the promotion of farmer producer organisation under Pulses across the districts. FIG Trainings and farmers technical trainings are being conducted. Feasibility studies for setting up of FPO’s are under process. FIG’s are shares / funds from farmer members for FPO.

Process of identifying and selecting the Board of Directors and Promoters is under process. Project farmers’ data has been supplied to the State Government Departments for extending Pulses Programme support to the farmers. In all the project villages local resource persons (LRP’s) have been identified to extend support to the farmers at village level.

34 FIG’s have been registered under Societies Registration Act and linked with bank in Bidar, Karnataka.

Agri-clinic & Agribusiness Program

ISAP is running Entrepreneurship Development Program in 9 states under the aegis of MANAGE. This training is provided to unemployed agriculture and allied sector graduates. After training, ISAP provides active hand-holding support to these trained agripreneurs for the setting up their own business venture. ISAP has so far trained 2181 agripreneurs in Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, J&K, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Punjab. Some of the agripreneurs have established their independent business successfully. We share one such success story with our readers in ISAP newsletters.

Success Story (Assam)

Dr Pranjit Pratim Koch is a veterinary graduate from faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Khanapara, Guwahati, Assam. After his studies Dr Koch tried his luck in private jobs and also worked with PSUs. But he was never satisfied with jobs and following his inner strong urge  of doing something on his own, he started custom hatching of poultry in 2005 with his own small investment of Rs 36000/-. But his business was not advancing at desired pace. He joined the 2-month training program of ISAP in Guwahati  in 2007. After his training, Dr Koch started his own hatchery, to which he named “Poultry Corner”. This unit deals in Quality Day Old Chicks, Quality poultry feed, Incubation hatching and brooding, Germplasm for rural poultry farming, Training on Broiler Integration, Training on preparation of balanced poultry diet by utilizing locally available material, Marketing of poultry products, Animal health services, Scientific breeding and handling of livestock and Vaccination and administering of medicines. Dr Koch is connected to 4000-5000 farmers and catering to 7 states in entire north east region. At present 10 employees are working in his Hatchery. Annual turnover of Poultry corner is 1.5 crores with monthly income of 2.5 lakhs. We wish Dr Pranjit all the success in his venture.