Agriculture

Agriculture Components

Securing crops and productivity through extensive protective irrigation from conjunctive use of farm ponds, groundwater and stream flows in a cluster approach. Under this component, different available water resources shall be mapped. Patchwise vulnerability analysis and critical irrigation requirement maps shall be prepared. Based on the interest of farmers, clusters shall be identified and water user groups shall be formed. Water user groups will be trained to share the resources and manage the cropping systems. Focus will be to address dry spells and promote crop diversification with focus on non-paddy crops.

Ensuring diverse and quality seed through community managed seed centres (one per cluster): For each of the Cluster of GPs a Community Managed Seed Centre will be established hosted by the one of the GP level farmers' organisation. CMSC will identify both local landraces and farm saved varieties that are preferred by farmers. Through PVT, in-demand varieties shall be identified. Accordingly seed multiplication shall be taken up. Wherever possible, linkages will be explored to integrate seed village and seed subsidy programs.

Soil health management for land outside the protective irrigation area shall be promoted through intercropping, promotion of natural farming based concoctions, bio fertilizer, compost pits, green manuring, gladicirdia and other plantations. Landscape based multicropping systems shall be encouraged. Data from soil testing shall also be utilised for soil specific interventions.

Improved package of practices: Improved agronomic practices such as system of root intensification, adoption of natural farming methods, intercropping, line transplantation and others shall be adopted. An incentive for adoption shall be transferred to farmers through DBT.

Custom hiring centres: Custom hiring centres for supply demand driven implements, machines and post-harvest operations at the SPPIF clusters hosted by FPOs. Space available at FIAC/ATMA/GP offices shall be utilised for hosting custom hiring centres. Depending on the demand and need for crops in the cluster, sub centres of CHCs will be established at GP level. They will be hosted by WSHGs/FPOs.

Post-harvest and primary processing and aggregation through WSHGs and FPOs: - Absence of decentralised processing enterprises is one of the key reasons for non-realisation of higher prices for the grains. Lack of post-harvest and processing infrastructure leads lack of standardisation in quality leading to low price realisation. In order to address this, Agriventures guidelines under 5T initiative, it is proposed to utilise the very strong WSHGs network at village level for anchoring post-harvest and primary process enterprises. These are then linked to FPOs for large scale aggregation at cluster level for better price negotiation in the market and also linking to high order traders for bulk sales. Business plans for these institutions will be developed on the basis of an analysis of the commodity base within the clusters. The effort will be towards inviting traders and value chain development.

The SPPIF is for enhancing production, income and household level food security & reducing climate risks will be the focus. thanks for reading!