Livelihoods Improvement Project for the Himalayas – Uttarakhand 11 Nov 2009

1. Experiences of VC Promotion in ULIPH Livelihoods Improvement Project for the Himalayas – Uttarakhand 11 Nov 2009 UPASaC Enabling Mountain poor to access Market

2. Objective of Aajeevika To improve the livelihood of vulnerable groups in a sustainable manner through promotion of improved livelihood opportunities and strengthening of local institutions that relate to livelihood development.

3. 5 Districts, 17 Blocks Households 42,690 Community Orgs 4,000 Villages 959 Project Coverage Project Duration 8 years (2004-05 to 2012-13)

4. Livelihoods Enhancement & Development Value Chains evolved • Organic farming • Off season vegetable • Dairy • Poultry (Kuroiler) • Medicinal and Aromatic Plants • Eco-tourism • Off-farm activities

5. Value Chain intervention 2008-09 Value Chains Interventions Business Vol. Seed & honey Production ORGANIC FARMING (Income Increase by Rs. 480/HH Seed; 37.5 T Honey; 0.18 T MICRO DAIRY (Income Increase by Rs. 9797/HH Fodder production, animal induction, ILDC, Milk & milk products Milk; 84000 Ltr Ghee; 1.23 T POULTRY (Income Increase by Rs. 2891/HH Kuroiler; eggs, meat Meat; 60 T Eggs; 12.5 lakh

6. Value Chains Interventions Business Vol. High value vegetables (Tomato, capsicum, F. bean, pea, potato) O.S.V. (Income Increase by Rs. 2500/HH 560 Ton C.B.R.E. & other non farm enterprises R.N.F.S. (Income Increase by Rs. 11168/HH Rs. 22 lakh High value MAP products (saussoriacostus, picorhiza, asparagus, Aloe vera) M.A.P. Nil Community Based Eco Tourism TOUR ISM (Income Increase by Rs. 6818/HH Rs. 1.5 lakh

7. Progress of Value Chain wise IGA, ME and SMEs Upto 30 June 2009

8. IGA, ME & SME TARGETS VALUE CHAIN WISE BY 2012-13 (End of Project)

9. Value Chain map of Off season vegetable Dharamghar Cluster [Current] seed FYM/ Fertilizer Insecticide/ Pesticide Equipments Traditional Practices Unorganized farming Poor Harvesting Improper Grading Transport & trade Input Production Harvesting and Post harvest Trading Consumption FUNCTIONS Consumption At District level OPERATORS • Input provider • Horticulture, • Block and • private • shopkeepers Local Consumer Farmers N= 76 traders Local Consumer Cooperative & Haat SURTERS Horticulture department KVK & UPASaC Aajeevika

10. Value Chain map of Off season vegetable [Vision 2012] Input Production Harvesting and Post harvest Trading Consumption FUNCTIONS Improved seed FYM/ Fertilizer Insecticide/ Pesticide Equipments Improved Technology Improved POP Organized farming Harvesting Grading Primary Value addition Assembly Marketing Grading Packaging Transportation Consumption At District and Mandi level OPERATORS Input provider at cluster level Farmers N=5460 Cluster Level Federation Local Consumer KVK,HTM District Consumer Cooperative & Haat SUPPORTRS Regional Consumer Govt. Line Departments, Uni., KVK, TNGO LIPH [UPASaC & Aajeevika], FFIs, Private partners

11. Strength & opportunity Threat & weakness Consumption Trade Trans- formation Production Specific inputs SWOT analysis of off season vegetable Non availability of fresh vegetables Big gap in demand & supply of vegetable • lesser volume fetching less price, • Lack of assured market • Poor packaging and handling • Lack of assured transportation Intuitionalised community in form of SHG. Opportunity for formation of federation and other institutions • Lack of • market • Information • regarding • price of the • produce Opportunity of harnessing better prices and employment generation through primary value addition and packaging • Absence of knowledge of Post harvest • technology Lack of knowledge of plant protection Measures and irrigation facility Initial Investment is comparatively high Lack of access to finance Perishable nature of the produce Favorable climate , High returns per unit area Marginal & small landholders suitable for introducing organized farming Availability of crop insurance There is 40% farmer engaged in vegetable Cultivation for their own consumption Awareness amongst farmers Lack of good quality seed, equipment and scientific knowledge among the Farmers.

12. Vision 2012(Dharamghar cluster) Benefiting 5460 target house holds in 546 hectare land [averaging 5 nali per beneficiary] Establishment of one Cluster level federation ( input support, marketing support and information and benefits of collective vegetable farming) Establishment of 20 vegetable collection centers 2 in each cluster Establishment of Community resource person 4 per cluster providing technical know how, demand forecasting and market intelligence. Establishment of assured transportation system. Increasing per house hold income by Rs. 16500 per year [Rs. 3300/ Nali]

13. KEY STRATEGIES OF IMPLIMENTATION: Establishments of cluster level OSV co-operative Establishment of 2 Input supply and collection Centre at each cluster Input supply through Co-operative/ Federations Institutional arrangement for sustainable technical services Provision of CRPs’ & their Capacity building Establishment of transport, trading and marketing channels Institutional arrangement for sustainable marketing system

14. IDENTIFIED OFF-SEASON VEGETABLE VARIETIES FOR UPASAC AREA

15. ACTION PLAN • Selection of beneficiaries. • SHG members • Priority WBR between cat (I) to cat (III) • Should have appropriate land • Must have interest in vegetable farming • Alternative person in home to look after nurseries. • Also must have alternative source of income • Ready to contribute Demo & Training charges. • Site Selection • Near-by road • Cluster with 200-300 HHs nearby villages. • Capacity building • Identification of training / technical institutes. • Course curriculum (Pictorial / practical / theoretical). • Identification and selection of exposure sites. • Capacity Building of CRP’s

16. Nursery Management • Bed preparation • Water Management • Maintenance of temperature, air & moisture • Pest control • Regular monitoring • Transplanting at right time • Nursery crop cycle • Selection of quality seed and varieties • Cultivation Management • Site selection and land preparation • Crop consolidation • Crop rotation • Integrated Pest Management • Regular monitoring by Technical Resource Person/CRP • Development of Activity Calendar (Package of practices)

17. Marketing Management • Assesment of local consumption ( from local shops to access the future demand & supply) – (Survey to be designed) • Identification of demand of nearby towns & Haldwani - (Survey to be designed). • Collection Centre • Packing & Grading • Storage facility. • Value addition.

20. Crop-wise per Nali Economics

21. Crop Rotation

22. Lessons learnt in VC development in mountain areas • Individual approach of production , collection marketing • Lack of input services and BDS services • Poor knowledge of value addition at farm level • Poor knowledge of market trend and consumer behaviour • Lack of business approach of the hill people Continued…..

23. Key interventions made to get success • Orientation of project staff for VC promotion through Gtz/ ICIMOD • Vision building of community at cluster level • Interactions among community, project staff,Gtz ( RED)staff,govt line department staff and other operators(middle man,transporter,adhati) • Formation of product specific activity group of farmers Continued…..

24. Exposure of activity group members to different mandis and interaction with the adhatis ,knowing seasonality,pricing,quality parameter,logistics etc • Micro planning at farm/cluster level and its implimentation • Regular technical support and other BDS services through project and other resource agencies Continued…..

25. Buyer seller meet at cluster level inviting different buyers and their interaction with the community • Consolidation of volume /produce at village/ cluster level • Collective marketing of produce