Dry land Agriculture in Anantapur district of AP Many challenges……. An attempt to address the Seed Needs of the Farmers through Community Managed Seed System …. A Joint initiative of Department of Agriculture and Farmer Community

Community Managed Seed System An Initiative Towards Establishing Seed Security Among the Dry Land Farming Communities in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh Supported by Department of Agriculture Facilitated by NGO’s Implemented by Farmer Groups State level Coordination by WASSAN at State Level

Coverage Across the District 10 NGO’s were part of this Initiative Covered around 183 villages in 14 Mandals 2083 Seed Producing Farmers 2088 Acres 8059 Bags of seeds ( 30 kgs per bag ) Apart from the efforts of NGO’s, Department also took up this initiative in another group of villages

Context Anantapur District is in the arid agro- ecological zone marked by hot arid climatic conditions With a mean annual rainfall of 553mm It is the second lowest rainfall district in the country. Groundnut is the single largest crop in the district with 8 lakh hectares area under rain- fed situation occupying about 90 percent of the rainfed area.

Seed Issues in Anantapur District Large acreage under groundnut cultivation at a seed rate of about 70 to 90 kg per acre, Anantapur district requires seed in bulk. Cost of seed in itself forms over 50 per cent of the total cost of cultivation in groundnut. Availability of seed has become a major political issue in the district as dependence on the seed supplied by Department of Agriculture subsidized has increased over time. Anantapur itself consumes bulk of the seed subsidy in the state amounting to nearly Rs.110 crore every year. Procurement and distribution of certified and subsidized seed has also become progressively more difficult for the Department to handle with many vested interests creeping in and owing to the issues of seed quality. Much of the seed procured by the Department comes from outside the district, thus draining out a lot of potential incomes in addition to the cost of transport. With increasing dependence on external sources, groundnut seed supply has become a messy situation

Plight of the farming Community Over the years, farmers who were otherwise self sufficient in seeds and other inputs, have succumbed to frequent drought and associated crop failures, thus increasing their dependence on the external suppliers for seeds. S uch externalization has resulted in the farmers facing multiple challenges in terms of increased costs and reduced profitability. Ensuring availability of the seeds has become a major seasonal issue in the district. Govt., sought to address the issue of availability of seeds through agriculture department by ensuring its supply. Under the present arrangement the department puts effort to supply minimum quantity of seeds to all farmers i.e., 90 kg seeds per patta passbook, but quality assurance is felt almost impossible due to the huge demand and the politics behind seed procurement, certification and other processes. Even if the supply from the department is not in time, the farmers, especially small and marginal farmers have to wait until the seed comes to an identified distribution centre at the mandal level. The distribution process many times had assumed the witness of Lathi charge in the recent past. They had to wait for two to three days to get 90 kg of subsidised seeds but still quality remain(s)ed questionable

Emergence of Community Managed Seed Systems Addressing such a critical issue led to the evolution of Community Managed Seed Systems (CMSS) in the given context. It was initiated by the Joint Director, Department of Agriculture, Anantapur and the Commissioner for Agriculture, for self reliance in seed production within the district using the Seed Village Program and ISOPOM Scheme The initiative was intended to address both the supply and demand side issues and consecutively transfer maximum benefit and control to the farmer In simple terms, the CMSS involves seed producers and consumers coming together to address the issue of ‘Seeds community through their own institutions. Procurement, storage, sales and exchange among farmers of the same or neighbouring villages, and distribution of seed through government Subsidy programme

Intervention is aimed at achieving the following objectives To establish seed systems that are managed and controlled by farmers’ institutions To strengthen capacities of farmers and their institutions to achieve self-sufficiency in quality seed production; this includes establishment of CMSS Cooperatives formally To facilitate farmers to diversify their crops by enabling access to seeds of a diverse range of crops and varieties. To establish a collaborative model of government - farmers’ institution facilitated by non government organisations with experience

Pilot-Community Managed Seed System Several interactions were then facilitated by WASSAN, FES and other NGO’s to synthesize various experiences with NGOs and the Department in addressing the seeds issue in the district comprehensively. FES is part of an innovative Programme on ensuring seed Security in the Village- Community Managed Seed System (CMSS) programme FES piloted CMSS in 11 villages covering Seed 120 producing Farmers in 220 acres during this Pilot Phase. Altogether we have got 660 of bags (30 Kgs per bag) of seeds costing Rs.10, 29,600, of which 50 percent was subsidy from department.

Salient Features of the CMSS Government supplied Foundation Seeds at 50 percent 90 kgs per acre ( under normal SVP farmers are given only 30 kgs and restricted to 1 acre ) up to 5 acres per Farmer in Rabi for Bore well farmers identified by Farmers Group Agreement : Farmers would follow all SA Practices- Seed treatment, inter crop, border crop, application of gypsum and would sell the produce back to the Farmers Group Seed Producing farmers were registered with State Seed certification Unit Continuous on Field Follow up Support to the Farmers, visit of Seed certification Team, Senior Government officials to get to now the Progress in the Field Discussed the options available of procuring the produce : 1.Directly by Farmers groups- Investment issue, capacity of the Farmers groups to procure- process, get it certified, Store, redistribute back to farmers, how to avail Subsidy ( As per Government norms, only Registered Seed Companies - AP Seeds Corp, HACA, MARKFED can draw Subsidy ) 2.Procuring through AP Seed Corporation- the original idea of seed getting distributed in the same/near by village would get defeated, farmer would not be in a position to go to central seed processing units of AP seeds to hand over their produce, cannot ensure redistribution of CMSS seed to the same Farmers

Salient Features ….. contd Government agreed to allow the NGO’s to facilitate the Process of exchanging the seed at farmer level, allowed local certification by AO, agreed to allow the Framers to buy the seed from the farmer of their own village and avail subsidy under normal government seed supply scheme, this decision was Historic in may respects This is the first time in the Country where the Farmers were allowed to procure their own seed from their own village and get the subsidy amount form Department. AO’s were asked to conduct germination test and certify the seeds Farmers were allowed to procure seeds from the Farmer of the Village ( Who was part of CMSS ) by paying Full costs of Rs per quintal at 3 bags per Patta Book, seed processing was done in the village itslef. NGO’s facilitated the Procurement from the seed producing Farmers pack in 30 bags, lable it and get it centrally stored Farmers Groups Facilitated distribution of seeds involving AO, get Patta bookk Stamped NGO’s Compiled the list of Farmers based on the Patta Book and submit the list to Department for release of subsidy

Salient Features… Contd In FES 120 Farmers took up seed production in 220 acres covering 11 villages The total Yield was around 4280 Bags – 40 kgs, around 5380 Bags of 30 kgs Total distributed through CMSS –Government Subsidy Scheme for 686 acres with 2058 bags- 30 kgs in 21 villages Seed used by Seed Producing Farmers own use 880 Bags ( Includes their close relatives ) Seed sold to local farmers on Full cost basis – 435 bags Rest was sold in open market

Comparative cost estimation of subsidized seeds under government and CMSS program Cost Centres Cost under Government Subsidy Scheme Cost under CMSS Porgramme Seed cost Travelling and Transportation 500 Daily labor loss1500 Cost of food and other expenses 750 Wastage with seeds432 (12 kg)0 Total Costs

What Does Farmers say about CMSS ….. A Successful Framer Ramana Reddy from SR Kunta said ‘’ The seed that we produced in our own village definitely had better germination percentage. Wastage is not found in the bags. Difficulties in the procurement came down; Seeds were supplied in time and hence the sowing has been done in time. My expenses towards seed procurement have come down by per cent for this Kharif season. The seeds which I now have are of one variety and I am sure I would get good yield and fetch better price for the produce when I harvest in November 2012’’ Malli Reddy from Bathinagaripalle said ‘’ I got the best quality seed through CMSS and I was able to save nearly Rs.1400 for three bags and could take up Kharif cultivation in time. Since I will be using pure quality seed, I expect good yield and I would save the seeds required for my next crop from own produce’’.

Cost savings to Government Government spends an amount of 107 Crores a year in Anantapur District alone Around 15,000 Quintals exchanged through CMSS Government would be spending an amount of Rs crores under CMSS toward Subsidy Under the Government Regular Seed Supply scheme government has spent an amount of 2.92 crores for the same quality of seeds towards subsidy Savings for Government under CMSS amounts to Rs.35 Lakhs, if CMSS is taken up covering all the Farmers of the district, savings for the Government could amount 35 crores +++ Government supported NGO’s with 2.50 per KG of Seeds procured Even if the Government withdraws subsidy and supports with Facilitation costs, still the CMSS would be viable

Some of the Major Outcomes of CMSS For the First Time in the Country the Department has brought in a Policy allowing the farmers to procure seed in their own village and get the subsidy for the same. Farmers had the choice of choosing the seed and get the best seed possible from within the village The seed was made available in the farmers hand well in advance of the monsoon facilitating to get prepared for early sowing. Farmers in FES villages got Subsidy of Rs. 514,000 from the Department for the seeds in Rabi for CMSS Programme and an amount of Rs. 10, 56, 369 for the seeds procured through CMSS in 20 villages. Since the Farmers have quality seeds of one variety, they expect that they would get good yield, would help them save seed for use during Kharif next year. This would mean that they don’t have to purchase during next Kahrif and at the same time could avail the benefit of subsidy. Institutional Mechanisms have been put in place in all the villages where CMSS was taken up to manage the project and this base is now being used by FES to promote Sustainable Agriculture practices among these farmers

Way forward FES, along with the village Institutions, is looking forward for multiplying the seed, seed producers and seed consumers during the coming season - cover around 3000 farmers during next Kharif. Similar expansion plans are being worked out by the NGO Network with Coordination Support from WASSAN To promote seed security systems for other crops- Millets, pulses and cereals also among these farmers Work towards establishing proper market linkage; explore collaboration with Farmers Federation promoted by CCD, in the district on this front. Work towards policy direction in collaboration with other NGO’s.... If Government takes a stand, they can bring in many changes... This is what was done in CMSS