Broad
Based Policy Dialogues to promote and upscale SRI methods
through NGO's
Watershed
Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN) is
facilitating partners in SRI method of paddy cultivation
for up scaling. WWF Dialogue
Project is supporting the project. Center for Sustainable
Agriculture (CSA) is associated with WASSAN in this
project. The total budget provided for which the initial
project was of Rs.18.15 lakhs, which was to end by 31st
July. The project was extended in time without any cost
extension for the period 1st August to 31st December, 2006.
The balance of budget that was available for the period was
Rs. 4,56,000/-.
For
this extension period, as both time and financial resources
were limited restricted support was provided to Cluster
Level Livelihood Resource Center (CLRC) at Parigi, Ranga
Reddy District. With the request from NGOs of North India
and the scope of SRI method in those parts, WASSAN extended
its services to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh states also
through Peoples Science Institute (PSI), Dehradun. Support
was also extended to Hasnabad village of Kodangal Mandal of
Mahabubnagar district due their interest in SRI method of
paddy cultivation. The support is basically in the form of
trainings, field demonstrations and regular field follow up
and exploring new ways/ strategies in SRI method of paddy
cultivation based on the availability of resources.
Report of
No-cost extension period of August 1st to December 31st,
2006
2005-06
In 2005-06 WASSAN
provided support to partners in SRI method of paddy
cultivation through WWF Dialogue Project. The partners
include NGOs, NGO networks, Mandala Mahila Samakhyas and
Cluster Level Livelihood Resource Centers (CLRC). The
support is basically in the form of trainings, field
demonstrations and regular field follow up.
In Kharif 2005,
WASSAN supported Indur NGOs Network (INN) of Nizamabad
district, Anantha Paryavarana Parirakshana Samithi (APPS) of
Ananthapur district, Mandala Mahila Samakhyas of Kosgi and
Doultabad in Mahaboobnagar, Cluster level Livelihood
Resource Center of Parigi and also NGOs like SHARE and
GUARDS in Ranga Reddy and Mahaboobnagar districts
respectively.
An
innovators workshop was organized to facilitate development
of marker(s) and weeder(s) appropriate for all soil types
through a process of dialogue and experimentation.
This workshop was basically meant for farmers, engineers,
designers and mechanics who have involved themselves
innovatively with implements used in SRI. The workshop
discussed in detail the problems related to implements used
in SRI, in different situations and analysed them.
Appropriate resource material was developed which were
extensively used throughout the state. These were also
translated into English and widely used in different states
in the country. Effort was also put on to use the Internet
for propagating this practice and sharing the cross
learnings.
KHARIF
season 2005
NIZAMABAD: Indur NGOs Network
Ananthapur
: Ananta Paryavarana Parirakshana Samithi
Mahabubnagar: Community Based Organisations
Ranga Reddy : Cluster Level Livelihood Resource Centre
Innovation
on Markers and Weeders:
SRI on WEB
Activities of Centre For Sustainable
Organization (CSA) - Kharif 2005:
NIZAMABAD: Indur NGOs Network
In
Nizamabad district a network of 10 NGOs called Indur NGOs
Network has taken up promotion of SRI . Based on the
feasibility and interest of the network partners support was
given to 6 NGOs; SOURCE in Makloor and Armoor mandals, WORD in
Dichpally mandal, SIDS in Gandhari mandal, REDS in Kotagiri
mandal, BETHEL in Domakonda mandal, and JANAHITHA in
Bhiknoor mandal implemented the project.
In Kharif season
the network covered 12 villages and 50 farmers with an area
of 21acres. Efforts were made to initiate SRI as an
activity in the watershed development program along with the
DWMA. After initial two rounds of trainings to the farmers
from the watersheds DWMA did not take it forward. The Indur
Network partners have taken up this initiative in the
villages where they already have a presence. Initially they
organised meetings with paddy farmers to motivate them to
take up SRI cultivation. Discussions based on resource
material and video shows were used as tools of communication
on SRI cultivation.
WASSAN
also provided the resource persons in
the training cum demonstration programme organised by the
network at Utnoor village on 23rd of July’05. In this event
the farmers and resource persons of the organizations and
Network partners were trained on nursery bed preparation and
transplantation. Communication material on SRI cultivation
and preparation of organic solutions Amruthajalam,
Panchagavya was also distributed to the partners.
The
resource person from their respective organization gave
regular field support to the farmers during the project
period. As a consolidation of the season’s work, a field
day was organized on 29th November 2005 in Utthunur village
of Gandhari Mandal by Indur NGOs Network with the help of
WASSAN. The objectives were to exchange SRI field
experiences during the season, to have a larger visibility
of SRI cultivation in the district and for promoting it
amongst new farmers.
WASSAN team member along with Network
partner NGOs met Joint Director of Agriculture and Project
Director DWMA well before the programme to invite them along
with their teams and the progressive farmers.. The field day
was organized in a SRI plot ready to be harvested. The
agriculture department, DRDA, DWMA and district collector
were invited by the network. Farmers practicing SRI and
non-SRI farmers were brought to the field day. An open news
paper advertisement was also given to reach farmers at
large. Leading
News Papers of the District covered the event in the
district specials.
Around 250
farmers from 9 mandals of the district participated in the
Programme. Sri D.V. Raidu, district collector visited SRI
fields on that day. Sri K Ramchandram, Joint Director of
Agriculture (In charge), Sri B. Ravinder, Project director,
DWMA and Sri Janardhan, District Resource person were among
the district officials who participated in the Programme. As
part of the Field day, a visit to SRI field, SRI implements
exhibition and sharing of experiences among the farmers were
organized. In SRI
implements exhibition, various available markers and weeders
were exhibited.
List of SRI farmers
Newspaper Clippings
Top
Ananthapur
: Ananta Paryavarana Parirakshana Samithi
In
Ananthapur district, the (Anantha Paryavarana Parirakshana
Samithi) APPS network implemented the project in Kharif’05
through its 4 partner NGOs namely RIDS, JANA JAGRUTHI, CERA,
and HANDS. They implemented the project in 14 villages of 6
mandals with an extent of 32.5 acres.
The
partners’ organised video shows in 26 villages of 13 mandals
covering 2 villages per mandal. These shows were arranged at
common places in the village. The films were also
transmitted through local cable network with the help of
operator.
Training
programmes on SRI cultivation to farmers and staff of the
partner NGO’s were organised on 25th & 26th of August ’05 at
Ananthapur and Gorantla villages respectively. Kishan Rao
from WASSAN was the resource person in both the trainings.
Total of 115 members including women farmers participated in
the training. These trainings gave knowledge on the method
of cultivation, motivated the farmers to experiment and
boosted the motivation levels of the staff. One exposure
visit of interested farmers was also conducted to
Madirepalli village where SRI was cultivating. The
organisation staff has followed the field regularly. The
local leading newspapers covered the activity.
List of farmers - Ananthapur District
Newspaper Clippings
Top
Mahabubnagar: Community Based Organisations
Kosgi
Mandala Mahila Samakhya implemented the project in 5
villages with 15 farmers in 10 acres of area. Doultabad
Mandal Mahila Samakhya implemented in 4 villages with 11
farmers in 10 acres of area. GUARDS NGO implemented in 6
villages of Kodangal mandal with 11 farmers.
Mandala
Mahila Samakhyas organised a meeting at Mandal level to
identify the villages to implement the project where as
GUARDS implemented the project in the villages where it is
working already in different project.
After
identifying the villages video shows were conducted to
motivate farmers to take up SRI cultivation. Meetings were
also organised in the villages with the resource farmers
(who have been practicing the method).
Further
Village Organisations identified Village level activists in
Kosgi and Doultabad mandals to motivate farmers and to
provide regular field support. ‘Guards’ recruited a person
separately for this project to follow up the field
regularly. These activists were initially trained on SRI
cultivation by WASSAN.
List of farmers - Mahabubnagar
District
Top
Ranga Reddy : Cluster Level Livelihood Resource Centre
Parigi Cluster level Livelihood Resource Center (CLRC)
implemented the project in 4 Watershed villages in 3 mandals
with 28 farmers in 24 acres. Sri Venkata Narsimha Reddy,
Project director DWMA visited the SRI fields in Gandwid
mandal in the month of November ’05.
List of farmers - Ranga Reddy
District
Newspaper Clippings
Top
Innovation on
Markers and Weeders
A workshop was organized on the SRI implements on 12th
-13th July 2005 along with Thrive, CSA and WWF-Dialogue
project. WASSAN anchored this workshop. Farmers, designers,
engineers and mechanics participated in this workshop.
Several implements were brought to the workshop by the
farmers/innovators. Discussions were held on the implements
to make necessary modifications. Based on the
recommendations from the workshop, farmers in Mandava
village with inputs from WASSAN (Kishan Rao) developed a
marker and a weeder. The weeder is named as ‘Mandava weeder’
after the village where it was developed. 50 Mandava Weeders
and more than 35 markers were fabricated and are being used
in Rabi 2005-06.
(workshop report)
Top
SRI on WEB
WASSAN has developed a website on SRI.
The site already has rich content and is further developing.
It already has good local/ national/ international coverage
going by the number of enquiries. The site also has SRI
manuals, an inventory of weeders and markers developed by
farmers and others.
www.wassan.org/sri
Top
Activities of
Centre For
Sustainable Organization (CSA) -
Kharif 2005:
Centre For Sustainable Organization (CSA) is one of the
solidarity institutions of WASSAN. As part of the WWF
Dialogue Project, CSA also facilitated SRI in its field
area. The following activities been accomplished by CSA relating
to SRI project for Kharif 2005.
-
SRI related workshops been conducted, participated by
partner NGO’s like MARI, REDS, GMM, PILUPU, NAVAJYOTHI etc
and necessary technical support and guidance has been
given to our partner NGOs in SRI cultivation. During
Kharif they could not practice SRI for excessive rains and
it is expected that during Rabi SRI cultivation will take
place in a large scale.
-
SRI posters displaying all the necessary SRI management
practices, booklets, with detailed SRI management
practices and important activities to be carried out to
get maximum returns from SRI. Important SRI Info offered
to various NGOs and necessary SRI skills were imparted to
field level coordinators and farmers. The excessive rains
discouraged the implementation during Khariff but now in
Rabi a substantial number of farmers are taking up SRI.
-
437 farmers representing Andhra, Telengana and Rayalaseema
were identified for SRI data collection. Out of the total
farmers 120 are from Andhra region, 218 are from Telengana
and 99 are Rayalaseema. (These figures may vary slightly).
From the above 150 questioners are already received and
almost all are expected by 25th of January.
Data entry has been completed for the received questioners
and once the data entry is completed for all questioners’
data analysis will be taken up.
-
The analysis focus mainly on SRI performance in various
agro climatic conditions and various innovations practiced
by SRI farmers. Also SRI performance in various districts
of the state, under various irrigation types, under
various fertilizer types etc.
-
The data analysis also testifies weather the practice of
SRI will indeed reduce water consumption, seed rate,
chemicals fertilizers and pesticides, more labor saving,
more factor productive than the traditional rice
cultivation and above all give more yields than normal
rice cultivation.
-
Water meters for water measurement: this has not been done
during Khariff-2005 for excessive rains throughout the
state and now for Rabi one set of water meters sent to
Ananthpur district and another sent to Khammam.
-
On field demonstrations conducted in Nalgonda, Warangal
and Ananthpur districts in seedbed preparation and main
field preparation for Rabi-05. Organizations like SIDS-125
farmers, GMM-65 farmers, REDS-65 farmers are propagating
SRI cultivation.
Resource Material:
WASSAN and CSA have prepared several resource material that
includes large flexi charts, manual in telugu for wider
circulation, information brochures on Panchagavya and
Amruthajalam. Several agencies like NABARD got these flexi
sheets reprinted.
(visit
Reource
Material)
Top
 Back
to top
|
