1. SUSTAINABLE FARMING
From End Of Poverty
All over India, decades ago i.e. during nineteen seventies, barter system used to exist, where people exchanged essential commodities for their living. Science has developed by leaps and bounds. New inventions have smoothened modern life. Yet, despite these stupendous developments, the quality of life of people in this area could not be enhanced. Life of people is in greater peril now. Seventy percent of people depend on agriculture for their livelihood sources, out of which mostly are small farmers. Previously i.e. in nineteen hundred seventies mostly farmers used to cultivate tobacco and gradually they had taken to cotton cultivation, a commercial cash crop. Farmers did not at all practice crop rotation methods to enrich soil: instead they had continuously cultivated cotton crop year after year and got depleted the fertility of soil. Due to unlimited use of fertilizers and pesticides the soil became infertile and pests developed resistance to pesticides. Due to heavy losses in cotton cultivation farmers became indebted year after year and even some farmers went to the extent of committing suicides.
This all happened due to lack of spreading technical know-how and latest farming practices among farmers. Particularly in some areas due to presence of granite industries, the entire area has become a dumping ground for noxious gases and toxic elements. More than this situation; even life is threatened with immediate collapse due to the environmental crisis. Due to infertile soils the farmers are migrating to cities to find out daily wages work for their livelihood. The gap is also widening between marginal and rich farmers as the rich farmers could utilize the latest technical knowhow in farming practices which poor farmers could not afford. At present farmers do not have facility for getting tested their soil samples and accordingly apply needed nutrients to the crops in the fields resulting application of over dosage of fertilizers to the crops increasing the investment cost, a further burden on the farmer.
This programme is mainly intended for the betterment of small & marginal farmers especially to see that farmers would never incur losses in cultivation. ASSIST promotes demonstrative farms for farmers to learn latest technical knowhow farming practices and learn to produce quality agricultural products to fetch better market price.
Farmers would learn to practice crop rotation methods, organic farming, to produce crops with low investment and thus save the fertility of soil for years together. Nursery would be raised and healthy diseased free seedlings would be distributed to farmers at minimum cost. Through nursery demonstration plots, farmers would learn seed treatment against fungal and bacterial diseases which reduces to greater extent of pesticides application after transplantation. Through organic farming demonstration plots, farmers would learn latest technical methods in cultivating mainly vegetable crops and fruit crops. Due to heavy application of pesticides, its residue is found in farm produce, which would have impact on health of consumers. Now a day, consumers of farm produces are interested to purchase vegetables, pulses and other cereal grains produced under organic farming. Through Vermi-compost demonstration unit, farmers, would learn to produce organic manure from farm wastes, cattle dung and use it for growing vegetable & cereal crops which fetch more price in the market.
Through dairy farm demonstrative unit, farmers would learn to rear high yielding milch animals. Women members of farming families could take up rearing milch animals as subsidiary income unit. When drought prevailed in this area, farmers completely depended on the income derived from milch animals only, which were low yielding animals. This type of demonstration farm would help farmers to learn proper rearing methods.
In the social forestry demonstration unit, various type of forestry plants would be grown to convince farmers, the importance of how the plants protect soil from erosion, prevents annual crops from winds & gales besides giving income to farmers once in 4 years. The farmers of this area are facing much difficulty in getting their soils tested to understand the presence level of different nutrients and needs to bring the soil more productive. Soil test reports would help appropriate application of plant nutrients to crops for better growth and to get more yields with less investment. It is planned to establish soil-testing laboratory in the premises of demonstration units for easy accessibility to farmers.
Training camps and exposure visits are conducted to farmers to create awareness among farmers on various aspects including dairy farming, nursery raising, organic farming and social forestry. Farmers would be trained in bio-pesticide preparations and integrated pest and disease management. Farmers would be trained in collecting soil samples for analysis. Every year it is essential to collect soil samples after the crops were harvested to know the available nutrients in the soil for taking up next crop. Thus farmers can save application of excess dosage of fertilizers and other micronutrients.
The Project would have achieved sustenance by the end of 3rd year operation besides serving as demonstration unit for farmers in various fields like nursery raising, dairy farming, organic farming, Vermi-compost and social forestry. For Vermi-compost units earth wormseed would be continuously available to farmers from demonstration units. Through training camps and exposure visits farmers will be well equipped with latest scientific methods in agriculture and sustain their life through farming.
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Training camps:
This is one of the major activities to educate the identified farmers in the target villages. From each village 10 farmers will be identified and they will be trained on various issues related to agriculture. Yearly training schedule prepared based on the identified subjects to be dealt in the training camps and experts’ services are utilised to impart training. It is also planned to conduct training camps at village level to train the 10 identified farmers. In addition to this village-level training, two camps for a period of 6 days organised at area level for the selective and progressive farmers. The topics covered in the training camps are as follows:
• Soil management technology • Crop rotation system • Seed production • Weed management • Water management / drainage facility • Integrated nutrient management • IPM / IDM (Integrated Pest Management / Integrated Disease Management) • Marketing management. • Soil selection and cultivation package of practices of various orchard management. • Different propagation and multiplication of various floriculture plans. • Cultivation of various vegetable crops. • Income generative activities related to agro based products. • Maintenance of milch animals and Heifers • Poultry management. • Pest and disease management in cattle, sheep and goat.
ASSIST took the responsibility of preparing training material on each and every subject in local language and the same were distributed in the training camps. Suitable experts in the particular subjects were identified as resource persons to conduct the training camps.
Cultural camps:
This is the major activity which will create greater part of awareness among the farmers on the various problems and issues. ASSIST has two well experienced cultural teams with 20 professional people. The cultural performances will be the best media to educate and convince the farmers on the above said topics. In each village two cultural camps are organised on the identified subjects. Through small skits, songs, dances, role-plays, street plays and palle suddulu (traditional plays), the farmers are educated.
Farmers’ Field Schools (FFS):
In addition to the training camps, the Farmers Field School activity were organised in all the target villages. The FFS is a school without walls organised in a farmer’s field itself. The objective of this activity is to educate the farmers on the various pests and diseases that are being attacked from time to time in their fields and make them as professionals to identify various measures to overcome the identified problems. Through this the farmers will learn various monitoring techniques to control the pest and immediate action will be attended by them.
Exposure visits:
This is another activity to educate the identified farmers on the various measures that are being followed towards attaining the sustainable farming by the progressive farmers. ASSIST will identify such villages and the farmers and the identified farmers will be taken to those villages to have direct interaction with the progressive farmers and to witness the various practices being adopted by them so that the farmers will be convinced easily and they can acquire good knowledge.
Opening of Demo Plots:
In addition to the above mentioned activities, demonstration plots will be formed by the selected farmers in all the villages. In each village an extent of one acre plot will be formed as demonstration where all the IPM / IDM practices will be adopted by the farmers. The purpose of this activity is to impart practical education to the farmers on the IPM / IDM practices and to enable them to practice strictly without any deviation. This is the best way of educating other farmers in the village. Once the neighbouring farmers practice all the IPM methods it is easier to convince other farmers too. In addition to the Demo plots, the check plots also to be maintained in the same villages to assess the performance of the Demo plots and to do the comparative study.
Vermi-compost Demo units:
To attain over-all objective and to divert the attitudes of the farmers towards organic farming, ASSIST is planning to promote Vermi-compost demo units in all the target villages. It was observed that the farmers in all the villages are being habituated to use chemical fertilisers and pesticides though they don’t require. Due to indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, the farmers are suffering a lot and they are getting huge amounts of crop loss in every year. In considering this fact ASSIST is planning to educate the farmers on the importance and usage of organic manure through training camps. This is one area where the farmers have to be educated more and motivated to practice organic farming methods. In each village one Demo unit will be promoted so that the farmers will learn the process of Vermi-compost practices and they start on their own.
