BEST PRACTICES IN AGRICULTURE

1. Yantradoot: A farm mechanisation initiative in Madhya Pradesh

The Yantradoot Village Scheme seeks to increase agricultural productivity in Madhya Pradesh through dissemination of information and know-how on improved agricultural technologies among farmers in the state.

Under the Yantradoot scheme, district level agricultural officers in Madhya Pradesh periodcially demonstrate the use of farm implements to farmers in 25 villages spread across 25 districts in the state and make these implements available on hire by the farmers at nominal prices. As a result, farmers in these villages are now using modern farm tools for each stage in the production of their crops.

Such mechanisation is reducing not just the drudgery faced by farmers under traditional manual practices but is also quickening agricultural processes, saving time, costs and enhancing agricultural productivity. With Yantradoot, each of these 25 villages are being turned into complete models for agricultural mechanisation. Such increased mechanisation has resulted in a 40 percent increase in the agricultural productivity of farmers because now their crops are being sown, irrigated, treated and harvested adequately and on time. Farmers' income has also seen an almost two-fold increase in the past two years that the scheme has been operational. As a result of these outcomes, many nearby villages are being inspired to switch over to the Yantradoot model of farm mechanisation.

By implementing the Yantradoot scheme, the Government of Madhya Pradesh is creating access to advanced agricultural technologies and machinery among farmers in the rural areas, increasing the overall agricultural productivity of the state and empowering its farming community. Inspired by the successes of the scheme, the Government of India has proposed to launch a National Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation.

2. Rural technology platform for sugarcane farmers

The Sugarcane Information System (SIS) is a technical platform to streamline interaction between farmers, sugar mills and societies through SMS, IVRS and web portals that provide free of cost services and information to farmers in Uttar Pradesh.

The sugarcane farmers have benefited from SIS system in two main ways: First, they are able to access market information from sugar mills and societies without having to waste time or make numerous travels to the offices. Instead, they are updated on market information detail via SMS, IVRS or websites. Second, they have benefited monetarily through increased quantity of sale of sugarcane to sugar mills, higher weight of supply due to fresh sugarcane, and increase in area under sugarcane.

SIS provides complete transparency into the sugarcane industry benefiting farmers, sugar mills and the societies. Technological intervention has replaced the manual system of previous functionalities and improved efficacy thereby resulting in higher profits and better cane productivity. The success of SIS can be up scaled and replicated in other states to improving living standard of targeted beneficiaries.

3. Improving earning capacity of farmers

Fasal Intuit is a free SMS-based service that connects rural farmers in Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh with buyers; provides them with real-time price information to make better market decisions and earn profit.

The majority of farmers in India have access to two or more mandis where they can go and sell their produce. Unfortunately, these farmers do not have easy access to agriculture related information. Most of the time they do not know prevailing whole sale market prices in their area because of which they often end up going to a market with lower price or sell at the village level at lower price.

To help farmers address this challenge, the Global Business Division team at Intuit conceived a simple yet sophisticated solution in 2008 known as Fasal. Fasal is a free SMS-based service that connects rural farmers with buyers and provides them with real-time price information. This service uses SMS technology available on simple mobile phones to provide real time market price information to farmers as well as connect rural farmers (producers) with buyers in their area/Mandi to sell their produce at best possible price. Farmers can subscribe to this service by calling the Fasal call center 1800 102 8767.

Intuit Fasal can be termed as an innovative practice because it provides personalised, real-time information to farmers for commodities and markets in local language; allows farmers to make informed decisions about marketing their produce and helps them make, on average, 15% to 20% more money for their crops and finally uses widely available SMS technology to deliver relevant information when farmers need it.

Currently, approximately 800,000 farmers across three states use the service.

4. Enhancing livestock productivity

Project Nandini, a livestock information system implemented by the Government of Orissa aims to provide extension services to cattle farmers in Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Mayurbhanj districts of the state.

Under Nandini, a web-based portal houses a dependable animal database along with details of their owners. The portal focuses on systematising the reproductive life cycle of crossbred cows by monitoring specific details like animal to attain peak yield, animal due and suitable for oestrus, animal due for pregnancy diagnosis, animal to be dried off, animal due for parturition and animal to be vaccinated/de-wormed. Based on the information and data available, a decision support system is provided to government departments/functionaries. Reports generated out of a web software helps government livestock inspectors and veterinarians get a fortnightly ‘To Do List’ to render selective and need based services in a timely manner.

The farmers also receive vital information related to the health and reproductive cycle of their cattle through an SMS alert, a helpline and also by visiting the village Common Service Centres. The information helps farmers take accurate precautionary measures and gradually increase the productivity of their cattle.

Project Nandini is a first of its kind initiative in India. Through Nandini a proper pattern for livestock related service delivery is being established wherein the needs of both service providers and the end users have been connected through an organized online information system. Nandini has turned cattle breeding into an integrated process that’s benefiting farmers in over 880 Orissa villages.

5. Conserving indigenous agro-biodiversity

The Community-based Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation Programme aims to conserve agro-biodiversity, and build self-reliance and livelihood security for communities involved.

The debilitating effects of Green revolution-induced high yield variety seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides and mechnised farming techniques have been rampant for farming communities in India, particularly in the south. Farmers' suicides have been directly linked to their over-dependence on the market and resulting capture in the debt trap. The nutritional value of crops fed on chemicals is minimum and the worst hit are those who grow them. Farmers have been reduced to the role of mere 'facilitators' in the processes of farming, their traditional knowlegde systems relegated to the background.

Against this background, started by the GREEN (Genetic Resource Ecology Energy and Nutrition) Foundation in 1996, the Community-based Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation Programme aims to help small and marginal farmers conserve the subsistence crops very basic to their food security.Having started its work with seed conservation, the programme has expanded to include a more holistic view of sustainable agriculture- organic farming, use of bio-pesticides, bio-fertilisers and soil improvement. Along with these, maintenace of kitchen and community gardens, vermicompost production, organic farming certification, organisation of farmers into a federation called Janadhanya, Field Farmers' School Programme, and income generation activities like handicrafts, also come within its purview. Women are accorded a particularly enhanced role in the programme, based on the understanding that they are the ones who do most of the 'invisible' work related to agriculture. A major plank of the programme is to provide sustainability to its efforts in the villages it works in- farmers' federations, Village Development Committees and Community Resources Persons are being developed for the same.

The programme currently covers 65 villages in Karnataka and has impacted nearly 4000 farmers. It runs 14 community seed banks across the state and a gene bank that houses approximately 420 seed varieties. The impact of the programme extends far beyond this. Its partners over the years have adopted the approach in their respective regions of operation, extending up to Bangladesh and Nepal. The Karnataka government's Organic Farming Mission is substantially inspired by it.

6. Direct agricultural marketing

Rythu Bazar, established with the intention of eliminating middlemen, allows consumer to directly purchase good quality produce from farmers.

Rythu Bazars have been established in the major cities of Andhra pradesh to create direct linkages between farmers and consumers for the sale and purchase of agricultural produce. These bazars are transforming the environment in which farmers in Andhra Pradesh sell their produce.

Due to direct marketing, farmers not only making profits but are also safe from the harassment of the middlemen. The government has fixed the prices in a Rythu Bazar 25 percent above other wholesale market prices to motivate farmers to opt for Rythu Bazars. However, at the same time, the prices are beneficial for consumers as it is still at least 25 percent lesser than the retail shops. In addition, farmers have an organized place to sell their produce and are provided with operational resources like transportation and storage options. An online market information system is developed to help keep consumers aware about the produce and respective prices.

This approach followed in implementing Rythu Bazar is encouraging and sustainable. It offers lessons on meeting consumer satisfaction and running the markets through a well formed management and administration structure.

7. Digital Green

Digital Green combines technology and social organization to improve the cost-effectiveness and broaden the community participation of existing agricultural extension systems.

By building on existing social linkages and using technology, Digital Green seeks to amplify the impact of agriculture extension workers who help farmers become more productive.

Digital Green records live demonstrations of agricultural practices by experts, transmits them to a large database and distributes them on DVDs to local organizations for dissemination among small and marginal farmers. Digital Green uses low-cost and portable technology viz. camcorders, TVs and Pico projectors for the production and dissemination of videos. Videos are based on content identified by the community, feature local farmers, are created in local dialects, and are duly checked for accuracy by agricultural experts. These screenings are mediated by an expert to help farmers adopt the practices as well as monitor their status after adoption.

Digital Green partners with local organizations that are already working on agricultural extension programmes. Currently, it is operating in 5 states and partners with 7 organizations. With more than 1650 videos in its database and a reach over 58,000 farmers, Digital Green today is ten times more effective, per dollar spent, in converting farmers to better farming practices than traditional approaches to agricultural extension.

8. AGRISNET - Information Network For Farmers

Tamil Nadu’s Department of Agriculture has successfully created an internet based information network for 80 lakh farmers in the state.

Agriculture Resources Information System Network (AGRISNET) is a mission mode project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India to develop a comprehensive online knowledge portal to disseminate relevant information to farmers. The goal of the project is to follow an all-inclusive approach in terms of ensuring technological connectivity, development of system software and provision of hardware at agriculture department offices up to the block level in all states and union territories.

This best practice documentation focuses on the successful state-wide implementation in Tamil Nadu. The government leveraged available resources to innovatively tackle financial and technical complexities. A separate and dedicated technical team of officers was established to avoid bureaucratic delays. Funds from multiple government schemes were used to set up basic infrastructure in agricultural offices.

Presently, the portal caters to 80 lakh farmers and provides them with information on agriculture related information. Within one year of its launch, at least 33 percent of the farmers have utilised the services offered through AGRISNET. This initiative in Tamil Nadu is also remarkable because of G2G services incorporated in the back-end network. The government uses this feature to generate customisable reports to improve their service delivery to farmers.

9. Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chain

Chetna Organic and Fair Trade Cotton Intervention Programme assists farmers in growing organic and fair trade cotton. It systemises the agricultural supply chain to create a niche market for outputs.

Chetna Organic and Fair Trade programme uses an innovative approach that combines the strengths of collective action and niche market development to generate a supply chain completely owned by the farmers. It aims to promote sustainable, ecological and profitable farming that helps to protect farmers with small and marginal land holdings in India from the effects of agrarian crises. 

The initiative, started as a pilot in 2004, is now operational in cotton growing areas of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha. Chetna has organised its members into Self-Help Groups and Cooperatives. It operates under Chetna Organics Farmers Association (COFA) and Chetna Organics Agriculture Producing Company Ltd (COAPCL). 

COFA and COAPCL together represent the supply chain programme at the national level. COFA, as a non-profit, engages in the provision of technical and social extension activities for farmers. COAPCL, a farmer-owned trading company, focuses on developing market linkages in India and abroad. 

The programme has proved to be beneficial as it has assisted in procuring seeds at a reasonable price, improving quality of land by adopting organic techniques and developing a niche market that assures a premium price for the specialised cotton production.

10. Doodh Ganga Yojana - Dairy Loan Scheme

Doodh Ganga Yojana is a Government of India dairy venture scheme that provides partial interest free loans and capital subsidy provisions to promote organised dairy farming and create employment opportunities in Himachal Pradesh.

The scheme was started by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of India as a dairy venture capital scheme to be implemented through the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). The scheme helps to transform micro enterprises engaged in dairy farming into organised dairy business enterprises. Doodh Ganga Yojana plans to economically uplift 50,000 rural households through the formation of 10,000 Self Help Groups within a span of three years. The scheme makes comprehensive provisions to sell dairy products on a larger scale.

The primary objective of the scheme was to create alternative livelihoods for local populations. The secondary objective was to call for a 'white revolution' through the successful implementation of the scheme.

The scheme has been successful in raising the economic status of the rural population involved.To date, Doodh Ganga Yojana has supported 2531 cases. Out of the proposed 300 crore target, loans to the tune of 50 crore are already advanced to the beneficiaries.

11. Women in Agriculture- Case of WYTEP in Karnataka

The Government of Karnataka launched WYTEP in 1984 to provide technical training and needs of women farmers, thereby empowering women in agriculture in the region.

The services extended to the women farmers under this programme were facilitated through Assistant Agricultural officers on activities such as pre-seasonal camps, result demonstrations and method demonstrations.

The Agricultural Training Institutes (ASI) is staffed with faculty (women officers) who would assess specific training needs of the women batch-wise and conduct the programme accordingly. The women farmers were also formed in groups and learned farming practices related to buying seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, storage containers, treatment of cattle, purchase of fooder, feeds etc.

In addition, they were taught micro credit activities, saving techniques, and agro-based business.