COMPREHENSIVE PILOT ON REVITALISING RAINFED AGRICULTURE

1. COMPREHENSIVE PILOT ON REVITALISING RAINFED AGRICULTURE BAGLI BLOCK, DEWAS, MP SAMAJ PRAGATI SAHAYOG MADHYA PRADESH MAY 2013

2. 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 • 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Emerging 6 Key Propositions • Operationalisation of the idea of “water-as-security” • Location-specific package of soil fertility enhancement (land treatment and organic matter incorporation) • Non-pesticide Management (NPM) agriculture and creation of identity for NPM produce • Package for animal healthcare for better survival (reduction of mortality & diseases) • Establishment of pond-based fisheries as a livelihood option in the area • Linking smallholders to outside markets – organisation, financing, institutions and value addition

13. How to Scale Up? “Building Redundancy” • Develop proof of concept on key propositions • Link these with ongoing government programmes and leverage resources • Create a demand system for services at the grass-roots level • Create institutions and institutional platforms to generate demand and manage program components – PRIs, SHG Federations, co-operatives, 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

14. What is the Main Takeaway from 1st Year? • The RRA-CP has established links with five line departments and their programmes: • 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

15. Way Forward • Develop detailed plans in consultation with each of these departments at the block level • Link these plans with ongoing programmes being implemented by the district/block • Establish systems for implementation of plans and careful monitoring of results • Document and disseminate of processes and results for wider advocacy • Develop an evidence-based policy argument for more investment in rainfed agriculture • Build people’s institutions capable of playing a leadership role in implementation of programmes

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