- Registered on 17th November, 2004
Twenty-five villages of five Gram Panchayats namely Palana Khurd, Veerdholiya, Noorda, Bhimal and Bansliya in Mavli sub-division of Udaipur district covering 1108 farm families were chosen. Farmers of this tribal dominated area are economically poor, socially backward and vast majority of them are illiterate with almost no access to latest farming technology resulting into low productivity per unit area. The livestock condition is also very poor with low milk productivity. About 65% of population belongs to Scheduled Tribes and 17% to Scheduled Castes. Nearly 33% of the land is irrigated and rest un-irrigated. On an average, land holding is 0.5 ha. Farmers grow mainly maize in kharif and wheat and mustard in rabi season. The seed replacement rate prior to beginning the work in the area was below 10% for all the crops.
The cross-bred animal population is practically nil. The number of goats and sheep are almost three times that of big animals and hence goat breed improvement programme needs to be strengthened for economic empowerment of the tribal population. The productivity of the crops is relatively much less compared to district and state averages.
Irrigation in the fields is done by open channel system.
Mong all the families, there is no one who is graduated and less than 2% are matriculated whereas hardly 5% farmers have the education up to primary level. About 70% farmers and more than 90% farmwomen are still illiterate. Keeping in view the objectives of Nyas, for integrated rural development, in addition to education and health programmes, economic empowerment through agricultural development was considered as of utmost importance. Agricultural development activities in the operational area have been undertaken mainly in collaboration with Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture & Technology, Udaipur in addition to some other agencies.
Digging of Compost Pits
For composting of FYM and other household wastes, farmers have dug two pits each. With this technology, the quality of FYM improved two to three fold and losses of nutrients have been saved to the tune of rupees five hundred to one thousand every year depending upon the number of animals the family has. So far 1400 pits have been dug meaning thereby getting enriched at least by a sum of Rs. 8 to 10 lacs per annum in addition to improvement in environmental and sanitary conditions of the villages.
Replacement of Crop Seeds by High Yielding Improved Varieties
In order to improve the productivity of crops, seeds of improved varieties of major crops in kharif covering 850 beneficiary farmers and in rabi covering 500 farmers were provided. Irrespective of the crop, high yielding varieties yielded 2-3 quintals more per bigha in comparison to local varieties. Adoption of this intervention alone has increased the income of each farming family by 4 to 6 thousand per annum.
Crop Diversity
During kharif season, in addition to maize, groundnut seeds were also provided whereas during zaid, moong crop was introduced for the first time in the area. Those who had the potentiality of irrigating the fields during summer have harvested about 1.5 to 2.0 quintals of moong per bigha amounting to a sum of Rs. 3500 to 5000 as an additional income.
Bt. Cotton (6304) – Bt. Coton has also been introduced for the first time in the area during kharif 2009. 450 grams of seed each was provided to 44 farmers covering 10 ha of land. Farmers on an average harvested 4 quintals of cotton per bigha amounting to around Rs. 12000/- whereas maize in these fields could have been produced of the value of Rs. 5000/- only.
Usual practice of farmers of this area is to irrigate the field crops through open kucha channels (Dhora) where lots of water is being wested / lost in the channels by percolation and evaporation. Thus, the water use efficiency is reduced to great extent. In order to increase the water use efficiency, till November 2009, 14352 pipes measuring 86112 meters costing to around Rs. 58 lacs have been made available to 570 beneficiary farmers. With the use of these pipes, each farmer could irrigate additional half to one bigha of land which has produced three to six quintals of additional wheat during Rabi. Considering all the beneficiary farmers together would produce 3000 quintals of additional wheat amounting to an additional income of at least Rs. 30 lacs every year. In addition to this, during the stress conditions in kharif season, these farmers would also make use of these pipes by way of giving life saving irrigation and during good monsoon season they would be able to take the zaid crop in upland soils also. Thus, cost of pipes is recovered in one year period.
Use of Bio-fertilizers and Plant Protection Measures
Seeds during rabi and kharif seasons were treated with bio-fertilizers in order to mobilize the availability of nutrients. Wheat seed was treated with Chloropyrophos so as to avoid any harmful effect of termites. Confidor and Metasystox were sprayed on Bt. Cotton at interval of 30 days so as to protect the crop from insect damage.
A Sugar Cane Crusher has been provided by the Nyas in the village Jharna on the community basis for making Gur so as to get better remuneration out of sugarcane crop with value addition. This will remain with the farmers for future use also.
Animal Husbandry/ Livestock based Interventions
To improve the health conditions of animals and also to increase productivity and farmers' income, following activities were undertaken:
By and large all the tribal families are rearing goats and it is their biggest source of income. In order to improve the breed of these goats, 16 Sirohi breed bucks have been provided in different villages. With this intervention new progeny of nearly 500 goats and bucks has been produced benefiting each goat rearing farmer to a tune of Rs. 1000/- per annum with the sale of new progeny. In addition to this, the new breed is likely to yield 25 to 30% more milk.
Seventy-seven Poultry Units (Nirbheek) each consisting of 20 birds were provided in the entire Cluster Area. Each poultry rearing farmers could get the benefit to the extent of Rs. 4000-7000 by selling the eggs and birds with an investment of Rs. 500/-only.
Feeding the animals through mangers results into 100% utilization of feed and fodder. Four animals can be fed through one manger saving at least 2.0 kg of fodder costing Rs. 10/- every day i.e. fodder worth Rs. 3000/- is saved every year. Till now 158 mangers have been constructed in the cluster area meaning thereby saving the fodder amounting to Rs. 5 lacs every year.
Till now, 23 Animal Treatment Camps have been organized in different village with the assistance of Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of Rajasthan. During these camps nealy 15000 animals have been treated for different ailments like internal and external parasites, pregnancy diagnosis, infertility and wound treatment, etc.
Chaffing of Fodder
In all 1200 quintals of maize and sorghum straw was chaffed by a tractor operated chaff cutter benefiting 120 farm families. The efficiency of fodder utilization was increased two folds benefiting a farmers having 3-4 cattle by Rs. 12-15 per day. Farmers have realized the benefit of the chaffing and now they are getting their straw chaffed.
Nutrigardens
With a view to improve nutritional status of the farmers, 100 packets containing improved varieties of vegetable seeds - ridge gourd, bottle gourd, pumpkin, lady's finger etc., were given to each farmer. Farmers harvested the vegetables in very good quantities. Pumpkin was harvested by some farmers as much as 2-3 quintals per plant.
Vegetable Saplings and Seeds
In all 23430 saplings of high yielding varieties of different vegetables were made available to the farmers in their respective villages. Some of the farmers harvested rich dividends from the vegetable crops. The bhindi (Mahyco Hybrid-10) growers harvested crop worth 1500-20000Kg/bigha.
Fruit Plant Saplings
In all 4865 fruit plants (Mango-1255, Papaya-2450, Custard Apple-350, Kinnu-210 and Lime-600) have been made available to the farmers during this period.
Erection of Poly Houses
For raising the nursery of vegetable and fruit plants, an many as 13 Poly Houses have been erected by the farmers in different two villages. With the technology provided, they will be able to raise crops before time so that they are able to get more remunerative price. By preparing 1.20 lacs sappling of fruits the farmer could earn 30 thousand rupees.
Establishment of Pomegranate and Guava Orchards
Ten orchards of both the fruits with 50 plants at each site have been established.
Ber Budding
Four hundred and fifty deshi ber plants have been budded with improved variety of ber (Umran). After 3 to 4 years, farmers are likely to harvest a benefit of Rs. 200 to 300 per plant and this benefit would grow up to Rs. 500 to 600 after 7 to 8 years.