Success story of the Women group ‘ Krishi Sahayi”
Sharp decline in rice area on account of low profitability due to high labour
cost and labour scarcity was one of the vital issues that KVK Malappuram had to
tackle. It is a prime fact that considerable reduction in labour requirement can be
achieved through selective mechanisation with appropriate machinery systems to
make rice production economically viable. In the year of inception of KVK,
mechanization in rice cultivation was confined to the use of tractor and power tillers
for land preparation. However other labour intensive operations such as
transplanting and harvesting were performed manually. Commercial rice farming
machines like mechanical rice transplanter, reaper and thresher were yet to be
adopted widely in the district mainly due to small holding size, high investment cost
and need of trained people for operation and maintenance. Large scale adoption of
this kind of machines in rice farming is possible only through government support
to cooperative groups of farmers to make them economically viable and to enable
farmers to meet local requirements.
Vocational trainings in paddy mechanisation
Right from the inception in 2004, KVK
No. of
No. of
Year
trainings
participants
Malappuram has been playing the pioneer
14
326
role in technology transfer through need 2006-07
2007-08
23
688
based training to farmers and rural youth
13
480
with respect to farm mechanisation including 2008-09
2009-10
16
536
rice mechanization.
But these short duration trainings did not fetch much impact. An important
feedback from trainings was that mechanization can proceed only with the help of
trained work force, which made KVK to think about an ever-ready work force to
operate the various machineries. KVK conducted a series of vocational trainings in
this context
Linkage with State Planning Board
During the period 2008-09, KVK had undertaken a project in collaboration with
State Planning Board worth Rs. 2.92 lakhs to popularise mechanisation of rice in
Malappuram district. The project included front line demonstrations on mechanical rice
transplanting using Yanji Sakthi Rice Transplanter and mechanical paddy harvesting
using KAMCO Reaper. The programme was implemented in 10 Ha in Kuttipuram,
Maranchery and Thripangode panchayats and Ponnani municipality. These FLDs were
really convincing to farmers and peoples representatives.
The activities of the group trained by KVK were linked with this project
which helped the group to carry out mat nursery preparation, paddy transplanting
and reaping, thereby gaining confidence to take up mechanization in any extent of
area. Ten trainings and demonstrations of Yanji Sakthi Rice Transplanter and
KAMCO Reaper were conducted in these areas.
The Women Task Force ‘Krishi Sahayi’ originated
On gaining experience in the field under the supervision of KVK scientists
these women trainees decided to organise into a SHG. Thus with the support and
supervision of KVK, 11 women formed the group named ‘Krishi Sahayi’. KVK
Malappuram was able to convince the farmers the advantages of the rice
mechanisation over conventional methods utilising Krishi Sahayi and as a result
many farmers who turned away from paddy cultivation came forward to cultivate
paddy in their fallow land. The group got many calls from panchayats, padasekhara
samithies and individual farmers to undertake mechanised paddy cultivation.
Krishi Sahayi gains confidence
The main constraint faced by the group was repair and servicing of
machineries which costs a huge amount from their earnings. In order to solve this
problem KVK conducted a vocational training on repair, maintenance and servicing
of Yanji Rice Transplanter for this group during 2008-09
which could increase their confidence level and income.
More project support from State Planning Board
As a result of successful completion of earlier project through which mechanized
transplanting and reaping was popularized in Malappuram District in about 50 ha, a
project titled FLD on “Small Scale Mechanization in paddy cultivation – Land preparation
to Post harvest was sanctioned to KVK Malappuram by State Planning Board. This project
helped the KVK to procure the machineries for land preparation, threshing and
winnowing in addition to the transplanter and reaper to popularize total mechanization
in Ponnani and Tirur Taluks of Malappuram District. KVK successfully completed this
project with the support of the trained women group.
Publicity through Media
Their success story was given wide publicity through various media. Request for
formation of such groups in other places also came from various corners. KVK also felt the
need for more activity groups, at least one per block and joined hands with District Panchayat
and Kudumbasree Mission to implement a project ‘Haritha Malappuram’ for Rs. 42 lakhs.
The trained group as master trainers and demonstrated the mechanization job to the new
groups. Accordingly, the process of formation of 37 such activity groups, with 10-15
members in each group, in Malappuram District was completed. All the groups were supplied
necessary machinery for use through district panchayat.
Recently a project was submitted by KVK to Planning Board to form a machinery
bank containing machineries worth Rs. 8.0 lakhs made the Planning Board to persuade all the
panchayats in the state to adopt the pioneering model of KVK Malappuram. Accordingly the
process of formation of 35 such activity groups by Malappuram District Panchayath under
the technical supervision of KVK Malappuram is almost completed. This is the success of
the KVK Model of women empowerment through mechanization for achieving food
security.
Profitability and productivity enhancement
The total area of rice in the district is 11000 ha. With all the thirty five groups and
other similar interventions, 100 per cent mechanization was achieved in harvesting and
around 50 percent in transplanting. Further, mechanisation has resulted in savings in
cultivation cost to an extent of Rs 16000/- per ha. In addition there is an increase in
productivity to an extent of Rs 1.2 t/ha. Thus a total profit of Rs. 34000/- is recorded.
Savings in Cultivation cost
per ha
Savings in Cultivation
cost per ha
30000
30000
25000
25000
20000
20000
15000
15000
28000
2800
0
10000
10000
1200
0
5000
12000
5000
0
Before
0
Before
After
Paddy cultivation came back to areas where it was abandoned even 15 years ago, due
to the assurance about the availability of ready-to-work groups with machineries in their
custody. The multiple effect of these groups resulted in bringing back 1200 hectares of land
to paddy cultivation in one year.
Creation of Job Opportunities
Over a period of three years, this krishi sahai group alone has done mechanized
transplanting, harvesting and threshing in an area of more than 300 hectares. Further the
members of Krishi Sahayi group are getting job for 150 days and each of them is paid with an
amount of Rs. 500-1000 per day. Thus, they are earning a minimum of Rs. 800010000/month.
The print and visual media recognized the good initiatives of the KVK and have given due
coverage last year. The CNN-IBN channel in its India positive programme highlighted the
role KVK played in reviving paddy cultivation. The Hindu, under its farmers’ notebook,
covered in detail the KVK effect.
The news reporter from ‘The Hindu’ collected the views of Dr. Ayyappan,
Director General, ICAR, New Delhi. According to him “This was made possible
through the intervention of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Malappuram by developing a fully
equipped women’s group named ‘Krishi Sahayi’ aimed at helping individual farmers
and farmers’ groups in undertaking mechanised paddy cultivation in a cost effective
way,”
Dr S Prabhu Kumar, Zonar Project Director, Indian Council for Agricultural Research, says,
“Slowly we are going to implement this approach all over India, where labour is a big
problem. It has created a good impact not only in this district but in the state of Kerala.”
After