Chetana Vikaas

1. ChetanaVikaas Project Review, August, 2012

2. About Chetana-Vikaas • Founded by Ms. Suman Bang, Mr. Ashok Bang and Late Dr.(Ms.) Padmaja Rani • Based in Wardha district, Maharashtra • A non-political team • committed scientists • social activists dedicated to a cause • Works with • Farmers, villagers, self help groups • Acts as Resource Center

3. Broad areas of work • Agricultural Development • Productivity, Profitability, Sustainability, Quality of Life for Farmers • Natural Resource Management • Women’s Empowerment • Economic, Political, Socio-Cultural, Family Counseling

4. Agricultural Development • Soil and Water conservation • Appropriate seeds (BeejSwaraj) • Farming for Self Reliance • Alternative Marketing for Organic Produce • Macro Level Work

5. Soil and water conservation • CV mostly works with dryland farmers • Low cost earthen structures • In 2011, 59 farmers in 7 villages worked on soil and water conservation • 121 acres covered • Work done by “Village Engineers” are men and women trained by CV

6. Village Engineers Survey

7. Low cost light signal to scare away wild pigs

8. BeejSwaraj • Seeds by CV are field tests at Alternative Agriculture Resource Center (AARC) for 2-3 years • Criteria for seed selection • Yield, pest & disease resistance, hardiness and taste • Farmers select and preserve seeds themselves • Special training on method of appropriate seed selection, storage and avoiding mixing.

9. Self-Reliance • Step 1: Study visits • AARC, Farmers Field Workshop • Learn about cropping patterns, new varities, soil fertility etc • Step 2: Preparatory meeting • Technical understanding, crop planning, seed requirements • Maximize food crops among the 30-35 crops • Diversification helps in many ways • Step 3: Training on alternative technologies • Hands on training

10. Alternative Marketing • Connecting with organic markets • Cotton sold to local cloth maker • Negotiated a deal with local hospital to use cloth from organic cotton and at 20% more than prevailing market price.

11. Marco Level Work • AARC is the center for • Visits by activists, volunteers, NGOs, policy makers, scientists, Govt. officers, farmers • In 2010, 771 person days • Dr. O.M. Rupela, Former Senior Scientist, (ICRISAT). • Visitors from AID: Mr. Ajit & Ms. AditiKulkarni, NishikantDeshmukh • University students and Fellows from all over Maharashtra • Very active in speaking engagements, advocacy, member of OFAI, exhibitions etc.

12. Past Target Demographics • 0 to 5 acre land holding - 34% • 5 to 20 acre land holding - 63% • Above 20 acre land holding - 03% • Schedule Caste (SC) - 06% • Schedule Tribes (ST) - 22% • Other backward castes (OBC) - 69% • Others - 03%

13. Target vs Actual vs Prorated

14. Budget Breakdown • Total budget Rs 28,88,000 (~53,500) • Increase over 2011 • Rs 4,60,000 (19%) • Funded so far • Rs 12,00,000 • Other chapters • Approved - BayArea, JHU • Reviewing – MD, Berkeley

15. Targets for 2012 (same as 2011) • 10 villages • 100 farmer families • 200 acres • 5-7 water harvesting structures • Train 10-15 Village Engineers • 250 person-days for field workshops

16. Big Picture

17. LEISA (7,00,000) • Involes • Canopy coverage for harvesting the sun • Enriching nutrient recycling and bio-manure. • Soil fertility, symbiotic processes. • "Weed as Wealth", biomass generation and management. • Soil moisture and water management. • Wind-breaks, shelterbelts, green cover. • Propagation techniques and improvements in existing fruit trees. • Expenses • Expenses cover • labour, implements, wages, biomass, manures, rents, hire charges, tubers, saplings, polybags, other materials, tools, bud sticks etc.

18. Conservation of Soil & Water(1,53,000) • Involves • Creating Village Engineers • Water harvesting structures, Inside the field conservation activities • Expenses cover • Training and remuneration village engineers • Surveying, designing, labour, supervision, material, equipments, trainings etc.

19. Seeds & Planting Materials (2,00,000) • Involves • Identification, collection, trials, multiplication, storage and field demonstrations of appropriate varieties. • 50 varieties of 35 different crops of various categories like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, condiments & spices, fibres, cash crops, fodders etc. • Expenses cover • parent seeds, travels & transport, labour, materials, equipments, small containers, storage & rent, remuneration to village persons for purity & quality control etc.

20. Alternative Marketing Systems(6,00,000) • Involves • Farmer Certification • Gradation • Procurement • Storage • Selling • Expenses cover • Group formation, Farmer Certification, Gradation, Procurement, Storage, Selling, Training, Materials, Travel , Transport etc

21. Crop Protection (2,00,000) • Involves • Pest and disease management techniques without using agro-chemicals • eco-friendly measures • Crop protection from wild animals • Expenses cover • Materials • labour, • making specimens • audio-visual material, • special field-workshops focused on this topic • fence, honorarium • consultancy of resource persons / experts

22. Workshops (1,50,000) • Involves • 5 events x 50 farmers in 3 seasons • Expenses cover • travel, • lodging-boarding, • reimbursement of wages etc, • training & learning materials, • honorariums to resource persons, • audio-visuals, study--visits, demonstrations etc

23. Macro Level (30,000) • Outreach • Macro linkages • Advocacies • Liaison,network • Surveys, studies, documentation

24. Honorarium (6,00,000)

25. Other (1,55,000) • Filed communication & transport • Contingencies (about 2%) • for Programme activities • for overheads • Stationary • Communications • Miscellaneous

26. Proposed Funding • Total cost per farmer 28,880 • Cost for 8 farmers 2,31,040 ~ $4500