About

Special Programme for Promotion of Integrated Farming

SPPIF

Special Programme for Promotion of Integrated Farming

This programme has evolved from the work of District administration, Malkangiri and various departments with the RRA Network initiative in Malkangiri.

Conventional subsidized input led approaches to agriculture development did not achieve any significant breakthrough in rainfed areas. Hence an Integrated approach with focus on support systems and market development targeting agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forest-based production systems was proposed. Focus of the programme was to increase income and nutritional security of the tribal farmers of Malkangiri District.

THE RRA NETWORK

Role of Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture (RRA) Network

The Working Group (WG) on Natural Resource Management (NRM) & Rainfed Farming (RF) of 12th Five Year Plan under Planning Commission have developed a 12 point agenda for reviving the rainfed areas in the country. Key propositions were as follows

  1. Enhancing Soil Productivity: Addition of organic matter in rainfed areas
  2. Expanding Protective Irrigation to secure rainfed crops at least 2 acres per HH
  3. Seed systems timely, quality, contingency, diversity in the control of community
  4. Agronomic innovations: LESA, SRI, NPM Polycropping and others locally adaptable
  5. Appropriate farm mechanization for enhancing labor productivity
  6. Developing and strengthening producer organisations
  7. Strengthening Rainfed Livestock Support Systems (health care, drinking water, fodder)
  8. Fisheries in numerous rainfed water bodies
  9. Integrated value chain support systems for pulses,millets, oilseeds, meat and fish.
  10. Risk minimization and resilience building and enhancing private investments
  11. Creating intrastructure and rural processing for agriculture products
  12. Strengthening ins stutional capacities and decentralized planning

The RRA Network (a network of civil society organisations, researchers, development practitioners, bankers, officials and others across multiple disciplines and geographies) initiated pilots in many locations across the country to test the ideas proposed by the WG on NRM and RF of 12th Five year plan under Planning Commission.

One of the rainfed districts chosen was Malkangiri. Accordingly, a pilot in collaboration with the District Administration of Malkangiri was taken up to pilot these ideas by WASSAN and RRA Network in 2012. This involved the local NGO network led by Parivarttan. It was supported by WASSAN, ACWADAM, MoA-MANAGE, ICAR- CRIDA, ICAR-CIFA, Indian School of Business, Chetna Organic, Vrutti, SHPL and other technical partners. It was implemented from 2012 to 2015 in convergence with the district administration of Malkangiri.

Based on the success of the pilot, the District Administration of Malkangiri submitted a scale up proposal to the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Empowerment, Government of Odisha. Accordingly, the Govt. in Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment launched a new scheme titled “Special Programme for Promotion of Integrated Farming in Tribal Areas of Odisha” in 2017.

This programme is now being extended to districts of Gajapati, Koraput, Nuapada and Rayagada for realising the potential of rainfed agriculture through integrated approach

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