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 can you influence and where should one start What should we do? What can you influence and where should one start Production Direct reach, distant markets Green revolution technologies Market Not taken off Increased risk

How to increase productivity without significantly increasing risk Costs, profits & risk In contrast, near Bangalore Cost of cultivation of Tomato is Rs..20,000 /acre. Yield is 12t-15t /acre Cost per kg is ~Rs..1.50 At Rs.2.00/kg net income is Rs.6000-7500/acre! How to increase productivity without significantly increasing risk

Conceptual framework Crop Management Output market Cropping Pattern Choice of crop Crop timing Motivation, food security, cash needs Cropping intensity Crop diversification Adoption of new crops Multi-level cropping Spreading risk by diversifying crop portfolio into grains, vegetables, orchards & trees Input management Access to physical inputs Seeds Fertilisers Pesticides Water Soil Labour & Capital Production knowledge Right choice of inputs Right use of inputs 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

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

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 Increase cropping intensity Spread risk Provide long-term security Crop portfolio Food security Cash needs Long-term security Diversification into orchards Field bund plantations Revival of supplementary land based activities Existing crops – Immediate term 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 buy-back with reputed firms vetted by IDE-I Select top 3 existing crops Document best practices Identify cost reduction and productivity enhancing measures Build a campaign to promote

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

Approaches to increasing income How to increase income Agri-extension Grow more = gain more But Risk more too! Ultra unconventional 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?