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Enhancement of Livelihood Security through Sustainable Farming Systems and Related Farm Enterprises in North-West Himalaya |
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| Introduction | ||
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The consortium of well-established, capable and lead organizations was formed for the development of the five disadvantaged districts of N.W. Himalayas. The districts selected are - Kupwara and Doda districts of Jammu & Kashmir, Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, Tehri Garhwal and Champawat districts of Uttarakhand. The selection of the districts was based on the report of Planning Commission of Govt. of India. This selection was based on agricultural productivity per worker, agricultural wages and SC/ST population of the area. The selection of the operational sites in each district was based on six sub-indices which are infrastructure status, agricultural status, food availability status, nutritional status, economic status and representativeness explicability and adoptability in the region. A brief baseline information of the operational clusters of the selected districts are given below. |
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District Kupwara (Jammu & Kashmir): It is the border district with three tehsils, namely, Kupwara, Handwara, and Karnah. The cultivable area is 66,594 ha, however only 45,970 ha is cultivated. Irrigated area is 30 percent. There are 87,000 agricultural holdings with average holding size of 0.44 ha. | |
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District Doda (Jammu & Kashmir): This is the third largest district in the state, after Leh and Kargil. It has diverse agro-climatic conditions from subtropical plain to semi-temperate to alpine and sub-alpine conditions. It has seven tehsils with cultivated area of 84,900 ha. About 20,000 ha area is under horticulture. | |
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District Chamba (Himachl Pradesh): Chamba is a typically backward district having six sub-divisions. It has 6,52,800 ha area with a total of 87,000 households. The growing condition is diverse from sub-tropical to wet and dry temperate. | |
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District Tehri Garhwal (Uttarakhand): This district in Uttarakhand state consists of 182 villages with a cultivable area of 61,569 ha area, of which only 7.4 per cent is irrigated. The district represents widely diverse growing conditions from valley to high hills and alpine pastures. | |
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District Champawat (Uttarakhand):
This district has four developmental blocks. The district has 44 per cent of its area under
forest cover. Area under agricultural activities accounts about 17,656 ha of
small and marginal holdings. The district is largely rainfed and hence
dominated by traditional agriculture practices. The area also suffers from
moderate to heavy soil erosion which has led to poor productivity of
agricultural crops. Moreover lack of sufficient transfer of technology of
improved practices and materials to this area has forced the farmers to
practice subsistence farming without any other alternative source of
livelihood.
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Farming has been a traditional occupation for sustaining rural population in N W Himalaya. However, its development in hills has not kept pace with the national progress and has remained far short of peoples’ expectations. Insufficient food production, lack of alternate employment and over exploitation of natural resources have affected the carrying capacity resulting in marginalization of the hill farmers. |
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NW Himalaya has limited land available for farming and even that has higher proportion of degradation. Mountainous region is characterized by extreme climate, poor accessibility, remoteness, small and staggered fields and largely traditional farming. Generally, this has resulted in subsistence economy. However, the hill ecosystem at the same time offer great niche potential in off-seasonality, site specific farming and farm diversification for greater impacts. |
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The Planning Commission has identified 150 disadvantaged districts in the country including Kupwara, Doda, Chamba, Tehri Garhwal and Champawat, which are situated in NW Himalaya. Farm families lack knowledge, properly packaged technologies, poor investment in infrastructure and lack of drive towards transforming hill agriculture into a viable and competitive livelihood. Considering the agro-ecosystem constraints, improved farming and allied enterprises are among few options available for development. These realities need a feasible, replicable and successful model for development of rural hills. Efforts to improve livelihood based on higher system productivity, allied enterprises and natural resource are expected to provide food, environment and livelihood security. |
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Recognizing the challenges of environmental degradation, lack of knowledge-based farming and agro-processing, disadvantaged marketing and limited livelihood opportunities, a mega project of ICAR-NAIP, on ensuring livelihood security is launched by a consortium of nine institutions led by VPKAS, Almora. The consortium partners; SKUAST-K, SKUAST-J, ChSKHPKV, GBPUAT, CSWCRTI, GBPIHED, IITD, BAIF and VPKAS, are leading institutions with sound research program and have significant contributions to technology development and dissemination. The uniqueness of science led, technology driven and farmers’ participatory activities of the project promises success in the mission of providing a replicable model for niche based, sustainable development and livelihood security in mountains. |
| Mission | |
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Niche based sustainable development and livelihood security in
agricultural and allied sectors
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| Objectives | |
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Enhancement of Agricultural Productivity |
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Management of Natural Resource Base |
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Agro-processing, Value addition, Allied Livelihood and Improved Marketing |
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Empowerment through Capacity Building and Employment Generation |
| Innovative Approaches | |
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Science led,
technology driven, farmers’ participatory, end to end multidisciplinary
program in consortium mode. • |
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| Consortium Partners | |
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SKUAST-K,Srinagar-191121 (J&K) Dr. Nazeer Ahmed, Co P.I. Email:dnak59@rediffmail.com Ph 0194-2462124, (O/F) |
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SKUAST-J,Jammu-180009 (J&K) Dr. A.S. Bali, Co P.I. Email: amarjits_bali@rediffmail.com Ph 0191-2262100(O ), 2119456 (R) |
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Ch SKHPKV,Palampur-176062 (HP). Dr. D.R. Chaudhary, Co P.I. Email: dre_dee@yahoo.com Ph 01894-283220(O), 253094(R). |
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GBPUAT,Ranichauri-249199 (UA) Dr. V.K. Kediyal, Co P.I. Ph 01376-252101, 252138 (O) 252171(R), 252128 (F) |
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CSWCRTI, Dehradun-248195 (UA) Dr. B.L. Dhyani, Co P.I. Email: dhyanibld@rediffmail.com Ph: 0135-2757210(O) ,2673112(R), 2754213 (F) ,Mb: 91-9412155256 |
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GBPIHED,Kosi-Katarmal-263643 (UA) Dr. R.C. Sundriyal,Co P.I. Email: rcsundriyal@gbpihed.nic.in Ph: 05962-241015(O), 241150 (F) 241229(R) Mb: 91-9411105170 |
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IIT, Delhi-110016 Dr. P.M.V. Subbarao,Co P.I.
Email:
Ph 011-26591142(O) , 26591658(R) 26582053 (F) Mb: 91-9871331665 |
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BAIF, Haridwar-249408(UA) Dr. HB Singh, Co P.I.
Email:
Ph: 05965-235067 (O), 240576 (O/F) Mb: 91-9411141399 |
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Lead Centre: VPKAS, Almora Consortium Leader: Director, VPKAS, Almora-263601 (UA) Ph:05962-230208(O),231539(F) Email: vpkas@nic.in Consortium P. I.: Dr. A.K. Srivastva, Head, NRM Email: aksrivastva4@yahoo.com Ph: 05962-231679 (O), 241247 (R) Mb: 919411134656 |
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The NAIP aims at generation and integration of innovative approaches and their application to improve the food grain, vegetable and fruit productivity and employment generation in the project area. Implementation of the project will provide valuable opportunity of scaling up of the technology, addressing the issues involved and impart robustness to the livelihood development model. Programme on emerging researchable and development issues will further sharpen the effectiveness of technology |
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| The Road Map To Livelihood Security | |
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Operational Districts
Kupwara & Doda (J&K), Chamba (HP) and Tehri-Garhwal & Champawat (UA)
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| 2007-08 |
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2009-10 |
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2011-12 | ||
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Strong base for fruit production
established
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processing and marketing of surplus. • High level of income.
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Productivity Enhancement: Increase in total productivity , seed replacement, farm mechanization, resources use and operational efficiency. |
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Nutritional Security: Production of diverse food commodities. |
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Risk Minimization: Integrated farming system, water harvesting and protected cultivation, value addition and improved marketing. |
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State of Environment: Improvement in vegetative cover, hydrology and adoption of IPNM. |
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Profitability: Loss preventing and cost reducing measures; value addition and agro-processing. |
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Livelihood Security: Skill enhancement capacity building, Increased employment in agriculture and allied enterprises. Reduction in drudgery of farm women and out migration |
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A revolving fund will be created after formation of cooperative. |
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By mid-project period, resource base, production potential and value of produce will be evaluated for economic viability |
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The long term institutional support with required backward-forward linkages and technological back-stopping by consortium partners, KVKs and other agencies will be ensured. |
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| Expected Outcome | |
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Livelihood security: Enhancement of employment to >300 man days. Additional income through allied enterprise. |
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Food and nutritional security: Bridging the existing gap in food and nutritional security (deficit in pulses -> 80%, oilseeds->80% and vegetables ->40%) |
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Environment security: Perenniality of water resources, enhancement of perennial vegetation cover, organic matter and carbon sequestration. Improved watershed characteristics. Reduce exploitation and degradation of natural resources beyond their carrying capacity, thereby ensuring better environment. |
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Better quality of life: Reduction in drudgery of women farmers; enhancement in the availability of fodder, fuel and rural energy; effective particiapation in decision making and economic indeoendence through organized self-help groups for women. |
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Champawat district has a strong potential for enhancing its natural resource productivity, water harvesting, off-season vegetable production and diversified farming systems such as apiary, mushroom, dairy, poultry etc. Keeping all these constraints and positive aspects of the district in view, three clusters, namely Dharaunj, Gamod/Makot and Mudiyani were selected for their overall development after holding several discussions and meetings with the farm families. These selected clusters represent typical hill slope farming, diversified farming systems based livelihood and river valley farming. A brief summary of the clusters indicating their various aspects is given below. |
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| Total farm families to be covered under the project: 681 | |
| Farm families targeted for the year 2007-08 | |
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Cluster |
Operational villages |
No of families |
Route & distance from Distt. Headquarter |
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Dharaunj |
Dharaunj |
114 |
Champawat– Devidhura road 56 km |
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Mudyani |
Mudyani, Khooti, Banlekh |
75 |
Champawat– Tanakpur road 10 km. |
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Makot-Gamod |
Gamod, Jantola, Makot and Churani |
135 |
Champawat- Ghat road 35 km |
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Total farm families |
324 |
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During Kharif 07, attempt has been made for the yield enhancement at farmers field by introducing high yielding varieties of Maize, Ragi, Soyabean, Garden pea and French bean. Data indicating the difference of yield between local and high yielding varieties is depicted below: |
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Dharonj cluster |
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Crop |
High yielding variety |
No of beneficiaries |
Area (nali) |
Yield (Kg/nali) |
Local variety yield (kg/nali) |
% increase over local |
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Grain crop |
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Ragi |
VL madua 149 |
50 |
50 |
32.2 |
22.9 |
29 |
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Soyabean |
VL soya 47 |
23 |
16 |
33.6 |
24.5 |
37 |
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Maize |
Him 129 |
27 |
10 |
40.6 |
27.4 |
48 |
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VL sankul 11 |
37 |
37.5 |
37.9 |
27.4 |
38 |
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Vegetable crop |
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French bean |
VL bauni bean 1 |
10 |
10 |
153.3 |
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Contender |
36 |
30 |
125.14 |
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Garden pea (August sown) |
Arkel |
36 |
50 |
96 |
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| Mudyani cluster |
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Crop |
High yielding variety |
No of beneficiaries |
Area (nali) |
Yield (Kg/nali) |
Local variety yield (kg/nali) |
% increase over local |
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Grain crop |
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Ragi |
VL madua 149 |
26 |
50 |
29.8 |
18.2 |
63 |
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Soyabean |
VL soya 47 |
26 |
16.5 |
38.5 |
26.1 |
47 |
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Maize |
Him 129 |
20 |
12.5 |
36.8 |
26.5 |
38 |
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VL sankul 11 |
21 |
12.5 |
38.1 |
26.5 |
43 |
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Vegetable crop |
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Garden pea (August sown) |
Arkel |
20 |
35 |
86 |
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| Fodder crops | |
| Ample attention is also given for increasing the fodder availability and for this hybrid napier has been planted in the farmers field |
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Village |
No. of beneficiaries |
Quantity (q) |
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Mudyani |
40 |
10 |
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Dharonj |
70 |
25 |
| Fruit crops | |
| Fruit crops were also planted in the farmers field in order to supplement their income. Planting was done keeping in view the recommended practices. |
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Clusters |
Villages |
Mango |
Guava |
Pant lemon |
Total |
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Dharonj |
Dharonj |
0 |
0 |
500 |
500 |
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Mudyani- Banlekh |
Mudyani |
0 |
0 |
300 |
300 |
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Khuti |
0 |
0 |
200 |
200 |
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Makot-Gamod |
Gamod |
0 |
1000 |
0 |
1000 |
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Chaurani |
500 |
0 |
0 |
500 |
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Total |
500 |
1000 |
1000 |
2500 |
| Technology Demonstrations | |
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Light traps were installed at all the clusters at different locations after visiting the villages and detailed information was provided to the farmers about the utility of light trap and its role in the overall removal of white grub . Also, the WGPSB powder developed by the institute was spread over in heaps of FYM in the villages for the control of the same. |
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August sown garden pea was sown at different clusters. Sowing was done after a demonstration on line sowing in the ridges was given in order to avoid water stagnation in the field which may result in wilting of seedlings. |
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Threshing of paddy was done by the paddy thresher after a demonstration was given to the farmers about its workability and its efficiency over manual threshing. |
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Farmers were also given demonstration on the electric operated madua /ragi thresher. The farmers have personally used it and had admitted its efficiency over manual threshing of madua which is more labour and time consuming. |
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Farmers were also demonstrated on their field about how to prepare scientific nursery beds. Demonstration for the same was given for onion and cauliflower seeds. |
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Demonstration on the line sowing of wheat, lentil and garden pea was also planned for Rabi 07-08 in the farmer’s field for improved varieties released by VPKAS. Adjacent plots were also prepared to show the difference between scientific method of sowing with improved varieties and local method of sowing using locally available varieties. Besides, the method of field preparation and adequate manure application were also demonstrated. |
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