COMPREHENSIVE PILOT ON REVITALISING
RAINFED AGRICULTURE
BAGLI BLOCK, DEWAS, MP
SAMAJ PRAGATI SAHAYOG
MADHYA PRADESH
MAY 2013
Background Information on CP
• Located in Bagli Block – Dewas District, MP
• A Cluster of 44 Tribal Villages in Bagli Block
• SPS has been working in this area
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Area – 26082
Population - 37000
Households – 7400
Gram Panchayats – 28
• Primarily agricultural with low non-farm jobs
• Before watershed interventions, heavy external
migration and low incomes
Background Information on CP
• Low incidence of landlessness – less than 8%; but
mainly, small and marginal farmers
• Main crops: Maize, Wheat, Soybean, Red Gram,
Black Gram, Green Gram, Chickpea, Cotton
• High incidence of forests – forest used to be a
major source of livelihoods
• High incidence of livestock population – dairy
animals, work bullocks and small ruminants
• Located far away from organised markets
• Poor banking penetration (pre-SHG years)
• PRI system is very weak or non-functional
Design of CP and Strategy
• Some Watershed interventions had already taken
place in the area; CP Villages include:
– 13 villages in old/closed watersheds;
– 16 villages where watershed work is ongoing; and
– 15 villages where new watershed work is proposed
• Pilot Strategy 1: Layer rainfed agriculture
interventions on water-based interventions
• Pilot Strategy 2: Converge interventions with
ongoing public investment programmes
• Pilot Strategy 3: Scale up rainfed agriculture
interventions to the block as a whole over time
Highlights of Work Done
• Situation Analysis: Analysis conduced of production systems,
their constraints and potential in the CP Location
• Formulation of the Action Plan for three years
• Initiation of Project Activities in Rabi Season 2012
• Deployment of Dedicated Human Resource for Pilot
Implementation (2 Co-ordinators and 7 Full time Persons)
• Build the Institutional base for Implementation in the CP
Location: SHG federations and co-operatives
• Link smallholder farmers with markets – formation of a new
producer company, Ram Rahim Pragati Producer Company
Limited (RRPPCL) for crop produce aggregation.
• Strengthening Linkage with Government Departments and
ongoing public investment programmes
• Leveraging of Public Funds for implementation
Situation Analysis: 1.Water
• Low Rainfall and Associated Water Shortage
• High runoff; annual water deficit (P-PET) of 540 mm
• Soil moisture deficit – LGP of less than 180 days
• Gaps in the rainfall at crucial periods in the crop
growth cycle can prove fatal for the crop
• Groundwater availability variable on account of on
account of the underlying hard rock geology.
• Traditional, less water-intensive crop varieties have
been replaced with varieties that require high
irrigation
Situation Analysis: 2. Soils
• High rate of soil erosion - loss of soil fertility
(biological function) and low capacity of soils to hold
water (hydrological function)
• Declining levels of soil organic matter application in
the soil
• Low recycling of agricultural residues; burning of
crop residues
• Depletion of soil fertility due to poor land
management practices – rotation of crops and
intercropping systems are fast disappearing
• To compensate -extensive use of chemical fertilizers
• No practice of soil testing
Situation Analysis: 3. Seeds
• Timely availability of good quality seed
material at affordable prices
• Scarcity of seed for repeat sowing with early
dry spell after sowing
• Non-availability of seed late in the season for
contingency crops and traditional intercrops
• Poor availability of seeds and planting
material of fodder grasses, fodder trees,
horticulture and seeds of green manuring
crops
• No practice of seed treatment
Situation Analysis: 4. Livestock Systems
• Low milk yield of animals
• Lack of veterinary support for livestock, resulting in
– High incidence of animal diseases
– High mortality of animals, esp. high calf mortality
• Poor coverage and reach of cattle insurance
• Lack of nutritive varieties of fodder
• Inadequate feeding practices of large and small
animals
• High mortality and danger of theft of small ruminants
• Inadequately developed marketing system for small
ruminants – mostly local sale
• Draught Power – most neglected aspect
Situation Analysis: 5. Fisheries
• Low use of potential – large number of small
tanks exists but are not productively used for
fisheries
• Licensing systems of community tanks unclear.
Usually, these are given on lease and the lessee
implements his/her own management practices
• No awareness of land management required for
fish production
• Lack of awareness on feeding practices of fish
• Low quality fish seeds/fingerings
• Fish mostly sold in local market. No effort at
value addition or processing
Situation Analysis: 6. Markets
• Distance to big markets, mandis and electronic
commodity exchanges
• High distress sale, especially in the immediate post
harvest season
• Long chain of intermediaries, reducing farmers’
share in the price paid by the final consumer.
• Need for “Tide over” finance to take care of
immediate consumption and production needs of the
poor farmers while they wait for good price
• High price risk which is difficult for smallholder
farmers to take
• Banking systems not tuned to meeting requirements
of marketing of agricultural produce
Emerging 6 Key Propositions
1. Operationalisation of the idea of “water-as-security”
2. Location-specific package of soil fertility
enhancement (land treatment and organic matter
incorporation)
3. Non-pesticide Management (NPM) agriculture and
creation of identity for NPM produce
4. Package for animal healthcare for better survival
(reduction of mortality & diseases)
5. Establishment of pond-based fisheries as a
livelihood option in the area
6. Linking smallholders to outside markets –
organisation, financing, institutions and value
addition
How to Scale Up? “Building Redundancy”
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Develop proof of concept on key propositions
Link these with ongoing government programmes
and leverage resources
Create a demand system for services at the grassroots level
Create institutions and institutional platforms to
generate demand and manage program
components – PRIs, SHG Federations, cooperatives, producer institutions, companies
Build capacities in institutions for decentralised
planning and implementation
Scale up the key propositions (and ancillary ones)
to the block as a whole
What is the Main Takeaway from 1st Year?
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The RRA-CP has established links with five line
departments and their programmes:
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District Panchayat / Rural Development – MGNREGA
and Integrated Micro-Plan Project (GoMP)
Agriculture Department – RKVY, Seed Villages
Horticulture Department – National Horticulture Mission
Animal Husbandry Department – Animal Health, Animal
Feed, Goat Rearing, Poultry
Fisheries Department – pond-based fisheries
Main Challenge: Creation of Institutional
Capacities at district, block and village levels for
design, plan, implementation and monitoring of
programmes
Crucial gap: Human Resource at required level
Way Forward
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Develop detailed plans in consultation with each of
these departments at the block level
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Link these plans with ongoing programmes being
implemented by the district/block
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Establish systems for implementation of plans and
careful monitoring of results
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Document and disseminate of processes and
results for wider advocacy
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Develop an evidence-based policy argument for
more investment in rainfed agriculture
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Build people’s institutions capable of playing a
leadership role in implementation of programmes
THANK YOU
My Email:
viju28@gmail.com