Project SHARE

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

The monsoon has hit several parts of the country, but farmers in SHARE project have yet to see the first shower of the season. However, in select areas, sowing has been slowly started. For cotton, by this time, sowing should be nearing completion in Amravati and Adilabad but the situation is anomalous. And for corn, the sowing is being deferred due to delayed Monsoon. During June, emphasis in SHARE project area remained on pre-sowing trainings of the farmers and for making necessary arrangements to set up Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) in identified areas.

Pre- sowing Training

So, in the month of June, the team was busy in rendering Pre-sowing trainings to their farmers in Bundi, Bhilwara, Amravati and Adilabad. In these trainings, focus was on quality seeds, crop geometry, plant nutrients, water harvesting and resource management.

Front Line Demonstration

Besides the trainings, process of organizing field demonstrations was initiated and critical inputs were distributed for 400 one-acre demonstrations under cotton crop and 500 one-acre demonstrations under corn. Keeping in view the previous year’s success in Rajasthan, demonstrations are also being conducted for cotton crop besides corn.

Water harvesting structure - under the agri resource development

In addition to this, ISAP has established its 5th water harvesting structure Anicut under Project SHARE at village Fatehpur of Jahajpur block in Bhilwara district. The13.6 meter wide and 1.5 m high anicut has 1800 meter long catchment that may impact 850 hectares of agricultural area in three villages.