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Sustainable Livelihood Regeneration Support Through Agriculture Program 2013-14

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD REGENERATION SUPPORT THROUGH AGRICULTURE PROGRAM
Report Period- January 2013-December 2014

BACKGROUND :-

In the Journey of IEA since last a decade it has been supporting and facilitating with the major component of Livelihood, Health & Sanitation, Education and Need based support in the District of Kandhamal. The Kandhamal riot affected thousands of poor Minorities Christian families. The victim families lost their all valuables and lifesaving belongings and their houses were burnt down by the mob activity. This loss of Livelihood, Resources, Dignity and Freedom of all ages considered as important measuring the capacity of IEA.

PROBLEM:-

Victim families took shelter outside native districts in a safer places and tents under strong support of common bond. In the meanwhile, their agricultural land and domestic animals were left abandoned. This transit journey of regaining hope and reconciliation to come down to their native villages took long period. In the absence of native community life and yielding crop in their land, the victim families suffered with social emotions and food scarcity in the tents and shelter places.

ARRANGEMENT:-

Looking at the emerging needs and challenges of the victim people, IEA organized the victim families and raised their common consensus to know about their livelihood regeneration skills. In line with the unitary opinion of the victim the cliental families, IEA has oriented them to grow cash crop in their fields, other than their traditional harvest.

PROCESS:-

IEA have made detail survey of the victims' villages and 212 victim household families representing 21 Farmer Groups with land legally owned by them been selected by program coordinators, being guided and facilitated by IEA Program Consultant were plugged into the provision exclusively. After endorsing the feasibility report by the technical and program expert, agricultural support to the farmers has been released for growing paddy and kharif and rabi variety crops which is range of vegetable seeds have been supplied to them are of cauliflower, Apple plant, Green peas, Brinjal, Tomato, Potato, radish, Ladies finger, Cabbage, Cow peas, Runner beans, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Bitter Gourd and Chili. Additionally, farmer has been freely supplied with required quantity of bio-fertilizer under this Project. Chemical fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide.

Nine (3.1hp) motor pumps with water disposable pipes to 9 farmers SHG group members respectively, comprising 100 families, covering 3 blocks (K. Nuagaon, Balliguda and Raikia) has been given free of cost to grow off season cultivation for their better income.

FEASIBILITY:-

In the outset of the program, peasants' traditional farming ability has been record. Similarly, the availability and its usefulness of the land held by the farmers is also been closely monitored by the agricultural experts in the project, prior to a family is considered to get into this business. The technical support service to the farmers like providing genuine information, knowledge on agricultural practices and challenges has been provided by the project staff from time to time in order to reduce the crop damage. In related to their crops harvest and its sale, all farmers have been deeply oriented on how to best use their home lands and grow better crop on it to make benefit along with market avenues, they need to rely upon to get fair sale price of their crop.

SUPPORT & BENEFITS:-

Considering the dearth of the living abilities of victim families in their native villages, the IEA has helped victim households to understand their base strength and leverage it, with their conventional effort with a modified mode. This way, growing agricultural crop in their own crop fields, both for earning cash and daily food has been met by beneficiaries.

PRESENT STATUS:-

The farmers to whom I.E.A have supported could complete 1-2 yields both Kharif and Rabi Variety Crops.

Now, the farmers have sown the seeds and crop has already come up to visible stage. Randomly, the plants are now in its 45 days of flowering stage and they will yield in the month of January and February 2015. The germination rate of each species and crop has been found quite satisfactory. This has been made possible by the farmers who have been guided and facilitated by the Agriculture Village Development Worker. Since, the beneficiary families are well aware of growing such crop in a traditional mode; this farming has also been caringly addressed by them without any technical lapses or negligence. The technical support service to the farmers has been provided by the project staff from time to time in order to reduce the crop damage.

As of now, the growing crop on the field is self convincing for the farmers to yield better harvest. In relates to their crop harvest and its sale, all farmers have been deeply oriented about crop benefit analysis along with market avenues, they need to rely upon to get fair sale price of their crop and avoid middle men under every circumstance.

We expect, the farmers will be going to yield bumper crop this time and will earn at least 5 times more benefit than their traditional crop. As per lower side calculation, the farmers will be earning INR 60,000 in single crop, within three months time, per acre.

Paddy seeds have been provided to farmers and they are now growing paddy in their Govt. allotted paddy land. In this context, practical demonstration on stainable Rice Intensified (SRI) method has been sown and now farmers have followed it, in tit bit manner this time and paddy line sowing has been strictly followed.

They have already opened their Group account and deposited minimum capital amount in there. The revolving system is already introduced among them. Now, at least, they are not dependant on anybody for credit.

Between the year (January 2013-December 2014) total 212 victim household families in 3 Blocks (K. Nuagaon, Balliguda and Raikia) of Kandhamal district in this line has been helped out by providing genuine information, knowledge on agricultural practices and challenges, being followed by supplying them required quantity of free agricultural input like, seeds, pesticide, herbicide to these beneficiaries during the year.

At the end, they have become the model farmers of their generation in their native villages and many Non-Agriculture households and neighbors are obligated to them in learning and following these skills for their future use. In nutshell, these farmers are now become preliminary source of benefits for many, through this program support.

Agricultural Program 2013-14:-

Total No. of Villages covered- 22

Total No. of Gram Panchayats Covered-11

Total No. of Direct Beneficiaries-212

Total No. of Indirect Beneficiaries-212 families x 5 members per family household= 1060

Livelihood/Agriculture

1. Jangugam

2. Kudupakia

3. Gasukia

4. Sainipada, Gochhapada

5. Mahasinghi, Gochhapada

6. Sundrumila