Training on Smallholder irrigation value chains Strategies

Training on Smallholder irrigation & value chains Strategies to enhance incomes S. C. Rajshekar Symbiotec Research Associates C-6 -C, Gangotri Enclave, Alaknanda New Delhi 110 019 Tel: 91 -11 -26210633 Email: sra@srarural. com

What is this about? • How does one enhance incomes of small and marginal farmers? • Gujarat – Junagadh & Dahod • Orissa – Nawarangapur & Sonepur • Eastern Uttar Pradesh – Padrauna & Gorakhpur

What should we do? Production Green n revolutio ies chnolog te What can you influence and where should one start Market Increased risk Dir ect dis reach ma tant , rke ts Not taken off

Costs, profits & risk In contrast, near Bangalore Cost of cultivation of Tomato is Rs. . 20, 000 /acre. Yield is 12 t-15 t /acre How to increase per kg is ~Rs. . 1. 50 Cost productivity without At Rs. 2. 00/kg net income is significantly Rs. 6000 -7500/acre! increasing risk

Conceptual framework Crop Management ·Cropping Pattern o. Choice of crop o. Crop timing o. Motivation, food security, cash needs ·Cropping intensity ·Crop diversification o. Adoption of new crops o. Multi-level cropping o. Spreading risk by diversifying crop portfolio into grains, vegetables, orchards & trees ·Input management ·Access to physical inputs o. Seeds o. Fertilisers o. Pesticides o. Water o. Soil o. Labour & Capital ·Production knowledge o. Right choice of inputs o. Right use of inputs o. Access to production knowledge Output market ·Location of markets ·Type of market, primary, secondary ·Price discovery mechanism, direct sale, auction ·Transparency & market practices ·Prior access to market information

Cropping pattern • Junagadh • Ground nut – Vegetables • Sonepur • Paddy – vegetables What do the 3 cropping patterns tell you? • Find the area • Multi-crops (millets, pulses, cucurbits) - vegetables

Cropping pattern tells us about • • • Soil type Land location Irrigation – available or not Climate Market choices And what else? ? ?

Cropping pattern tells us about. . • • • Attitude Way of life vs. commercial agriculture Security vs. profits Nature of security sought Extent of integration into monetary economy

Typical cropping pattern • Sonepur - Paddy – vegetables • Tribal area - Multi-crops (millets, pulses, cucurbits) - vegetables • First food security (Paddy, millets, etc. ) • Next cash needs (Pulses, vegetables, fruits, etc. ) • Junagadh - Ground nut – Vegetables.

Crop portfolio planning ·Incr e inten ase crop ping s ·Spr ity e ·Pro ad risk v secu ide longrity term Crop portfolio Food security Cash needs Long-term security Diversification into orchards Existing crops – Immediate term Select top 3 existing crops Document best practices Identify cost reduction and productivity enhancing measures Build a campaign New high value crops –medium term Identify new high value crops such as Stevia, Safed musli, etc. Introduce through a campaign Reduce risk by backing up with contracted buyback with reputed firms vetted by Field bund plantations Revival of supplementary land based activities

Cost reduction & productivity enhancement • Proper crop management • • Nursery for cotton? Alternate furrow irrigation Micro-drip micro-fertigation Integrated Pest Management • Multilevel cropping • Increases production from unit area • Spreads risk

Multilevel cropping Climbers bottle gourds Lemon Cabbage Banana Beans Tomato lines Climbers flat beans, bitter gourd Climbers flat beans lines Papaya

Approaches to increasing income Ultra unconventional Agri-extension How to increase income Grow more = gain more But Risk more too! Less cost, less labour = gain more And More crops = less risk Unconventional response Grow more but less cost, gain more And More crops = less risk

Natural farming low cost, low labour, less risk same production • Natural farming is farming integrated with Nature, not in competition with it. • Grow more, but safeguard your asset too – the soil, water, seeds • The question to ask is what operation can I eliminate in growing a crop?