Status Report
Trip Start
Mar 11, 2010
1
Trip End
Mar 31, 2015
Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh, India
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Livelihood Enhancement & Development
The Livelihood Enhancement and Development component comprises of Agriculture, Horticulture, Soil and water resources, Livestock, Forestry, Eco-tourism and off-farm activities. The project has narrowed down its activities into value chain based interventions under each sector:
- Agriculture : Organic farming, Seed Production, Apiculture
- Horticulture : Off-Season vegetables, including soil and water resources.
- Livestock : Kuroiler & Micro Dairy
- Forestry : Medicinal Plants & Enterprise oriented Van Panchayat.
- Ecotourism and off-farm activities: Community Tourism & Rural Non-farm sector
Capacity Building and demonstration activities: Training programs, exposure visits, workshops and demonstrations were organized in the areas of Organic farming, Seed Production and Apiculture, off season vegetable cultivation, on farm water management, water harvesting structures, livestock health, feed and breed management, backyard poultry rearing, medicinal aromatic plant cultivation, van Panchayat based activities, eco-tourism & off farm activities. Cost sharing of the demonstrations was done with at least 30% of the total cost being taken from the HH. All the persons selected were as per well being ranking exercise conducted by project. Inputs provided, if any to well-off farmers in the project area were on full cost basis. The details of progress made since inception is given below:
3.1 Agriculture: Under the agriculture sub-component key value chain based activities identified were organic farming, bee-keeping and seed production. The interventions made resulted in establishment of 106 MEs, 38 SMEs and 9479 IGAs. Training programs, exposure visits, workshops & demonstrations were organized for Organic farming, Seed Production and Apiculture. The detail of progress made is given below:
3.1.1 Seed production linkages with Tarai Development Corporation (TDC): Yield increase in the range of 15-20% was observed. The sale of 37.5 tons seed was done to TDC. Price premium were realized in the range of 30-40%. A total of 2289 IGAs were created under this activity.
3.1.2 Beekeeping: The strategy of beekeeping included the improvement and up gradation of traditional wall hives as well as using the improved boxes. A total of 194 IGAs were established. Production of honey during the year was 0.33 tons which was marketed @ Rs.100/kg through a service provider M/s Shivalik Natural Resource Management Society.
3.1.3 Community Resource Persons (CRPs): 14 CRPs were trained and established for providing their services as agri-extension service providers in Chamoli district. The initial earning of the CRPs are in the range of Rs. 2000/- to Rs. 3000/- per year as supplementary income.
3.1.4 Soyabean Processing unit: 4 soyabean processing units as SMEs were established in 4 vilages through SHGs involving 36 HHs in Chamoli and Uttarkashi. Business plan for income generation of the SHGs has been prepared. Initially production of soya milk & Tofu is in process & marketed by federation members
3.1.5 Replication trends:
Seed production activity was replicated on 106.4 ha. land with 553 HHs in district Almora, Chamoli and Uttarkashi. In apiculture activity, 131 nos. replication of improved wall hives was done with 62 HHs in district Chamoli.
3.1.6 Types of IGA & SME in Agriculture
IGA
SME
Seed Production
Soya Processing Unit
Bee- Keeping
3.2 Horticulture: Under the horticulture sub-component, key value chain based activities identified was off-season vegetables. The interventions made resulted in establishment of 334 MEs, 15 SMEs and 4853 IGAs. Training programs, exposure visits and workshops were organized for off season vegetable cultivation. Not only capacity building programmes but demonstration of technology in terms of poly house and poly tunnel, floriculture, mushroom production technology, value addition was also covered. The details of progress made are given below:
3.2.1 Off-season vegetable cultivation: The objective of off season vegetable intervention is for income generation as cash crops. The intervention was made in 359 project villages over 59 ha. area covering 2239 HHs. The intervention created 2028 IGAs and 121 MEs. Out of total 187 tons vegetable production, 55.81 tons produce was marketed to nearby places like Dehradun, Vikasnagar, Almora, Gopeshwar-Chamoli and other local markets. Over all 20% premium was received by the farmers.
3.2.2 Spice cultivation: This intervention was done in 253 project villages over 26 ha. land involving 1244 HHs resulted in the creation of 1244 IGAs.
3.2.3 Poly tunnels: The objective to demonstrate poly tunnels was to introduce off-season vegetables for an early entry into the market. 145 poly tunnels of 1 x 3 m. and 1 x 5 m were demonstrated at 50% cost. 4.3 lakh seedlings were produced in one cycle and sold by farmers thereby generating a turn-over of Rs. 800/- per household from one cycle.
3.2.4 Poly House: The intervention was made in 44 villages with 44 HHs. The size of the poly house demonstrated were 42' x 11’ x9’ & 30’ x 11’ x 9’. The beneficiaries were given the trainings for poly house cultivation and crop planning. Seedlings of crops capsicum, tomato, cucurbits were planted.
3.2.5 Types of IGA & Micro Enterprise in Horticulture
IGA
Microenterprises
Off season vegetable production
Off season vegetable production
Spice cultivation
Poly house
Poly tunnel
3.3 Soil & water resources: Under the soil & water resources sub-component mainly the intervention were done related to providing support to farming system i.e. agriculture and horticulture. The interventions made resulted in establishment of 59 IGAs and 14 MEs. Training programs and exposure visits were organized for LDPE tank construction, on farm water management, roof water harvesting tank and community water tank. The progress made is as under:
3.3.1 The demonstration of community water tank and water pumps, which were given to groups, will be run by user group itself. The user group itself will manage the functioning of the pump. However the project facilitated the group members for proper utilisation of resource and its maintenance.
3.3.2 Six community water tanks with 30 HHs in 6 villages each are having 50,000 lt. capacity (for an area of 1 ha. per tank) were also constructed.
3.3.3 Twenty four water lifting pumps were demonstrated in 24 villages among 69 farmers of districts Bageshwar and Chamoli. These water harvesting structures (LDPE, roof water harvesting tank and community tank) has initially been linked to 36 ha. land where vegetable crop are being promoted during the current season.
3.3.4 Soil testing kits: 84 soil testing kits were provided to SHG Federation, which were given to community resource person who do the work of soil sample testing. Per soil sample testing cost is Rs. 50/-. Initially to make the system sustain the cost sharing by project and beneficiary is Rs. 30 and Rs. 20 respectively.
