IMPACT OF HARIT PRAYAS

Strengthening and sustaining Agriculture in Bundelkhand region

(With special reference to 64 villages under HARIT PRAYAS project)

 HARIT PRAYAS impact on agriculture

Agriculture provides significant support for the economic growth and social transformation of the country and in the Bundelkhand region it is the main source of survival for the community. One one side agriculture plays a cruicial role in ensuring food security  in the region like Bundelkhand, where as on the other hand it also accounting for the significant share of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). But with HARIT PRAYAS we have focused more on ensuring the food security and one of the key reason behind it is the farmers suicide in the region ( there were 03 farmers suicide noticed in the HARIT PRAYAS villages at the time of baseline survey). When with HARIT PRAYAS we have tried to identify the reasons for the farmers suicide, the key reason came as the ‘high input cost and low production’ which makes farming community to either migrate to metro cities and do the labour work or to be here and face the debt and one day commit suicide.

 Agriculture scenario and farmers suicide in Bundelkhand region[1]

Bundelkhand region is known for its abundance of natural resources but today this is one of the poorest regions of the country. The total amount of current outstanding rural bank debts in Bundelkhand is Rs 4,370.32 crore. This is 21% more than 2010 when the total bank debts stood at Rs 3,613.22 crore. As many as 519 suicides have been reported from the seven districts of the parched and extremely backward region in the five months of this year. In the year 2009, 568 farmers and in 2010, 583 farmers have committed suicide due to various reasons in Bundelkhand as per official records. Taking suo moto action on the reports of farmer's suicide and distress in Bundelkhand region, Allahabad High Court tasked Uttar Pradesh and Central Government to submit report. Since 2002, three years have been declared drought-affected: in 2002, 2004 and 2009. Bundelkhand region covers seven districts of Uttar Pradesh (Banda, Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalipur and Mahoba) and six districts of Madhya Pradesh (Chhatarpur, Damoh, Datia, Panna, Sagar and Tikamgarh). Rivers like Ken, Betwa, Yamuna, Mandakini and many other seasonal rivers flow through Bundelkhand but the area is yet rain fed.

.2 Impact of HARIT PRAYAS on agriculture practices in HARIT PRAYAS project villages

Concerns on sustainable agriculture	Situation in HARIT PRAYAS project villages  before HARIT PRAYAS			Situation in HARIT PRAYAS project villages  after HARIT PRAYAS ( 18 months i.e. till June 2012)
	Jhansi	Sagar	Satna-Chatarpur	Jhansi	Sagar	Satna-Chatarpur
Soil testing	0	0	0	250	140	100
Use of UREA and DAP	100% of farmers	100% of farmers	100% of farmers	70% of farmers	65% of farmers	30% of farmers
Farmers availing KVK services	Hardly any (0)	Hardly any (0)	Hardly any (0)	250 farmers	140 farmers	100 farmers
Use of pesticides	100% of farmers	100% of farmers	100% of farmers	70% of farmers	65% of farmers	30% of farmers
Model farmers	0	0	0	250	200	400
Framers adopted organic cultivation	0	0	0	250	200	400

Source: Application of monitoring tools, baseline survey report, monthly and haf yearly reports of HARIT PRAYAS

Impact of HARIT PRAYAS on agriculture practices in Bundelkhand region

Concerns on sustainable agriculture	Situation in Bundelkhand region  before HARIT PRAYAS	Situation in Bundelkhand region  after  HARIT PRAYAS	Remarks ( if any)
Soil testing	No idea about the soil testing	After HARIT PRAYAS implementation number of farmers accessing KVK in the respective districts have been increased by 12-15%	With HARIT PRAYAS when farmers ( those who all have not been the part of the HARIT PRAYAS villages) the benefit especially in the form of low input cost and good production have started approaching KVK for soil testing.
Use of UREA and DAP	100% of farmers	About 200 villages get influenced by HARIT PRAYAS in the entire region and this on calculative measure have reduced 2-3 %	-
Farmers availing KVK services	Hardly few	With HARIT PRAYAS when farmers ( those who all have not been the part of the HARIT PRAYAS villages) the benefit especially in the form of low input cost and good production have started approaching KVK for soil testing and other services.	-
Use of pesticides	100% of farmers	About 200 villages get influenced by HARIT PRAYAS in the entire region and this on calculative measure have reduced 2-3 %	-
Model farmers	Hardly any	850+	Mainly from the HARIT PRAYAS project villages

Source: www.bundelkhand.in , KVK-Jhansi/Sagar and Chatarpur and interaction with the senior scientis of KVK, monthly progress reports of HARIT PRAYAS and baseline survey report

Linkages with KVK…

Its first time in the HARIT PRAYAS project villages that farmers have seen and visited and availed services from KVK. Before the initiation of HARIT PRAYAS KVK was an unknown word or institution for them. At present farmers are availing the services in terms of soil testing and technical inputs (in the form of knowledge on organic cultivation and purchase of some of the agriculture equipments from KVK on subsidy). Till now (in 18 months) 490 farmers in total did the soil testing from KVK and out of 490 around 80-% of the farmers have adopted the measures suggested by the KVK for crop sowing. 

---

[1] www.bundelkhand.in