View
228
Download
3
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
THE BAIF JOURNALTHE BAIF JOURNALTHE BAIF JOURNALVol. 33 April-October 2012
ICICI Inclusive India Award for BAIF
BAIF DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Edited, Printed and Published by BAIF DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Dr. Manibhai Desai Nagar, Warje, Pune 411 058
E-mail: baif@baif.org.in Website: www.baif.org.in Designed and Printed by: Varad Printers, Pune
THE BAIF JOURNALA quarterly journal of the
Mr. Hrishikesh A. MafatlalChairman
Dr. M.S. SwaminathanVice Chairman
Mr. Hasmukh S. ShahChairman, Executive Committee of BAIF Trustees
Smt. Rajashree A. Birla
Mr. Kishor A. Chaukar
Mr. Sunil. S. Lalbhai
Mr. Deepak C. Mehta
Dr. Sudha N. Murty
Mr. Pratap G. Pawar
Mr. Sharad Upasani
Dr. Narayan G. Hegde
Mr. Ramesh Rawal
Mr. Girish G. SohaniPresident and Managing Trustee
Founder: Late Dr. Manibhai Desai
BAIF TRUSTEESI n t h i s I s s u e
April-October 2012 Vol. 33
Annual Subscription: Inland: Rs. 50/-
Overseas: US $10
MANAGING EDITORMs. Sucharita Dhar
EDITORIAL OFFICEBAIF Bhavan, Dr. Manibhai Desai Nagar
Warje, Pune 411 058
1
3
5
7
10
12
14
19
24
Drought Mitigation with Water and Fodder
Security - An inevitable Urgency
Measures for Drought Mitigation and
Drought Proofing: Suggestions for
Interventions to Government of
Maharashtra
Development of Local Dairy Production -
The Indian Experience
Combating Drought in Western Region
Strategy for Goat Development
BAIF Foundation Day Celebrations
Learnings from the Field
News You Can Use
As Seen by Others
Cover Page Photo: Mr. Bharat Kakade, Vice President, BAIF,
receiving ICICI Inclusive India Award for Sustainable Livelihood
Impact from Union Minister for Human Resources Development,
Mr. Kapil Sibal on August 18, 2012 in Mumbai.
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
The agri sector in India is undergoing an
unprecedented structural shift. With rapid
increase in per capita incomes and a sizeable and
fast growing middle class (which is already equal
in numbers to the population of Europe), there
has been a distinct shift in the food basket
consumed in India. The percentage of cereals is
dropping while that of animal products is
steadily rising. As a result of all these transitions,
the per capita daily consumption of milk and
dairy products has grown from 112 gm in 1969-
70 to 263 gm in 2010 in spite of a rapidly growing
population.
The livestock sector has shown a growth rate
consistently higher than the crops related
growth rate over the last three decades. There
are thus significant structural changes coming
about in the agricultural sector.
For a farmer practicing crop production as well
as dairy farming, the combination helps to
diversify as well as enhance incomes and ensures
more uniform cash flows. Divisibility and
liquidity of the livestock assets helps to escape
from poverty traps, and dairy husbandry –
particularly with roughage-based feeding –
ensures drought proofing in the face of crop
failures, or in worse situations – as a high-value
disposable asset that ensures survival. The dairy
sector in the farming system thus not only adds
income, but also resilience.
Against this background, it is interesting to
observe that the share of livestock holding of
marginal farmers has steadily increased over the
last three decades. With the continued
fragmentation of land, making the holding size
insufficient for meeting the consumption needs
or income requirements of a marginal farmer,
there is increasing supplementation of crop
production through dairying and other livestock
assets.
The growth of the dairy sector through small
dairy farmers is thus crucial as a measure for
poverty reduction. Thus, in India, the
development of the dairy sector cannot just be
with the objective of increased milk production,
but will always have the twin objective of
securing livelihoods for the small and marginal
farmers.
Goat rearing is another important traditional
occupation for economically weaker sections of
the society especially small and marginal farmers
and landless labourers, particularly in semiarid
and arid regions of the country. Goats being
maintained predominantly under extensive
range management on community range land,
on left over of cropped land after harvesting and
forest land in mixed grazing with other livestock
species, emphasizes their supportive role in
farming system. There is considerable scope for
more scientific goat management for greater
benefit to rearers.
F r o m t h e P r e s i d e n t
1 The BAIF Journal
Drought Mitigation with Water and Fodder Security - An inevitable Urgency
The progress of monsoon in the current year
has created tremendous stress on the farming
community. Starting from extreme drought like
situations during the normal monsoon period,
end August and September have seen late arrival
of rains in many parts of the country. Inspite of
the much reduced rainfall deficit, the changing
pattern has dealt a substantial blow to the Kharif
crop production. The drought like situation
therefore persists in acute form, almost as
intense as the droughts which the country
experienced in the 1970s. There is however a
marked difference between the drought of 2012
and the droughts of 1970s. During the 1970s,
inspite of drought, there was adequate ground
water and drinking water was not a problem.
Similarly, there was reasonable availability of
fodder inspite of the drought, which was
primararily a food famine. In current times, we
have a much higher food production, substantial
buffer stocks of foodgrain, and the possibility of
import supplementation. Yet, the availability of
water, even for drinking, and the availability of
fodder have become more scarce. This basic
difference in the current conditions vis-à-vis the
droughts of the 70s, does not portend well for
the increased anticipated role for dairy
husbandry or for improving the quality of life of
the rural communities.
There is thus a sense of urgency in working on
soil and water conservation, improved water use
efficiency, fodder security and introduction of
food and fodder crops in order to address these
problems. We thus need to gear up for tapping
the scope and potential of dairy husbandry as
well as brace ourselves for the challenge of dry
periods.
This issue of BAIF Journal features a number of
articles on these topics.
Happy Reading!
2 The BAIF Journal
Girish G. Sohani
Sitaram Jindal Foundation Prize - 2012 Sitaram Jindal Foundation Prize - 2012 for Agriculture, Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation
jointly awarded to BAIF
AnnouncementAnnouncement
Measures for Drought Mitigation and Drought Proofing: Suggestions for Interventions to Government of Maharashtra
3 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
Technology/Interventions
ØDecentralised Cattle Camps with
Veterinary Care and Mass vaccination
ØIntroduce Stubble Harvesters
ØLaunch decentralised storage depots with
arrangements to locally treat the crop
residue
ØDecentralised Silage Units
Ø"Complete Feed" Block Production and
Supply
ØSteam treatment of bagasse and
conversion into feed at location of
interested sugar factories
ØA saturation approach by introducing Deep
Farm Ponds (one per 5 ha) and Nallah
Deepening in all drainage lines
ØInitiate Crop Planning and preparatory
cultivation under NREGS
ØRegion-wise identification and promotion
of dual-purpose crops
ØSilvipasture programme on common
lands/private wastelands through
Grampanchayats
ØHomestead Plantations
Measures
Short Term
1. Establishing cattle camps in affected areas and
ensuring availability of enough feed, fodder and
water for sustenance
2. Making use of all available crop residues by
improving their nutritive value through various
physical, chemical and biological treatments
3. Establishment of Feed and Fodder Banks
ØCollection of crop residues from surplus areas.
ØCompacting and storage.
ØEfficient processing into complete feed and
distribution.
ØConversion of bagasse and other agricultural
by-products into complete feed and distribution.
ØDecentralized Production of complete cattle feed
using locally available resources and crop
residues.
4. Deep farm ponds for storage of excess rainwater
in the coming monsoon
5. Be ready with appropriate PoP for the coming Kharif
season
Long Term
1. Introduction of drought resistant food and feed dual
purpose crop varieties
2. Forage production through development of
wastelands and community lands under
silvipastures system
3. Promotion of perennial and tree-based fodder crops
under agri forestry and by cultivating on field bunds
and backyards.
Measures
4. Forage seed production in sufficient quantities and
distribution.
5. Massive programme for soil and water conservation,
effective use of available water and soil moisture,
waste water recycling
6. Mass scale biomass recycling for improved water
holding capacity of soils
7. Piloting village level cotton aggregation, ginning and
oil crushing so as to increase retention of
cottonseed cake at farmer level for animal feeding
Technology/Interventions
ØContract Farming through identified seed
farmers for fodder crops
ØTrench cum bunds
ØDeep Farm Ponds
ØMandatory Soak Pits and Nutrition
Gardens in Villages
ØMandatory Wastewater biological
treatment in Small Towns
ØSustainable Agriculture Practices
(Vermicomposting, Green Manuring,
Microbial cultures etc.)
ØPromote retention of Cottonseed cake
4 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
BAIF was awarded the ICICI Inclusive India Award in the Sustainable Livelihoods Impact
category (Established NGO) recently. The award was received by Mr. B.K. Kakade, Vice
President, BAIF from Mr. Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resources Development, at a
function held in Mumbai on August 18, 2012.
ICICI Foundation and CNBC-TV18's Inclusive India Awards is an initiative which aims to
recognise and honour NGOs and Corporate Foundations who have been working for the
mobilisation of the weaker sections of the society. As a precursor to the Inclusive India
Awards, ICICI Foundation and CNBC-TV18 placed the spotlight on organisations and
individuals at the Inside India Summit chaired by the Minister for Corporate Affairs,
Mr. Veerappa Moily.
The Knowledge Partner in this initiative, Dasra, conducted extensive due-diligence and
submitted assessment reports of the final shortlist of three organisations within each award
category and sector to an esteemed Jury Panel comprising of Dr. Devi Shetty, Ms. Sudha Pillai,
Ms. Anu Aga, Mr. Kishor Chaukar, Ms. Bharti Gupta Ramola and Mr. Vineet Rai. The Jury
selected winners on the basis of this due-diligence.
ICICI Inclusive India Award for BAIFICICI Inclusive India Award for BAIF
5 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
Dairying in India
Cows and bullocks are an inseparable part of the
farming system. It is this large population of cattle
(199 M) as well as buffaloes (105 M) which offers
itself as the potential prime mover for the
development of the dairy sector in the country. The
total milk production in India rose from 17 M tons in
1950-51 to surpass 110 M tons in 2009-10 and is
projected to reach 180 M tons by 2020.
With rapid increase in per capita incomes and a
sizeable and fast growing middle class, there has
been a distinct shift in the food basket consumed in
the country. The percentage of cereals is dropping
while that of animal products is steadily rising. This
shift in demand has in turn affected the production
systems leading to a declining trend in the
percentage share of crops and a steady increase in
the share of livestock in the agricultural GDP.
As a result of these transitions, the per capita
daily consumption of milk and dairy products has
grown from 112 gm in 1969-70 to 263 gm in 2010 in
spite of a rapidly growing population. The livestock
sector has shown a growth rate consistently higher
than the crops related growth rate over the last
three decades. There are thus significant structural
changes coming about in the agricultural sector.
The Dairy Farmer in India
The Indian agricultural sector has primarily been a
composite farming system. For a farmer practicing
crop production as well as dairy farming, the
combination helps to diversify as well as enhance
incomes and ensures more uniform cash flows.
Against this background, it is interesting to observe
that the share of livestock holding of marginal
farmers (<=1 ha) has steadily increased over the last
three decades. The growth of the dairy sector
through small dairy farmers is crucial as a measure
for poverty reduction.
The BAIF Programme
BAIF programmes have cumulatively reached over
4 M farmers in 50,000 villages of 15 States and
establishing direct current contact with 3 M
farmers. The cumulative value of the asset base
created in the form of productive cattle and
buffaloes out of this programme is over 2.496 Billion
USD and the value of annual milk production by
these animals is of the order of 2.746 Billion USD.
Technologies / systems for the progressive section:
Future needs of the progressive section will be in
the area of use of progeny tested semen, sexed
semen and gnomically selected bull semen to
produce high yielding dairy animals. The need for
meeting their nutritional requirements and
management practices to support the high
Development of Local Dairy ProductionDevelopment of Local Dairy Production
The Indian Experience
Abridged version of an invited paper and presentation submitted by Mr. Girish G. Sohani, President, BAIF, at the American Dairy Science
Association (ADSA) Joint Annual Meeting. "ADSA Multidisciplinary International Leadership Keynote (MILK) Symposium: How Dairy Exporters
can provide food security", July 15-19, 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.
6 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
quantities of milk production will also have to be
addressed appropriately. Similarly, the production
and reproduction diseases associated with higher
milk production will also have to be addressed by
providing effective and efficient veterinary care
services including disease surveillance and
diagnostic facilities. Promotion of clean milk
production however, will be the need of progressive
as well as undeveloped sections of the dairying
communities.
Approaches / needs of the undeveloped
section: The requirements of the undeveloped
sections will mainly constitute expansion of at door
service delivery system in far flung rural areas,
timely supply of inputs to support the production
system of the small, marginal and landless milk
producers, effective and efficient use of available
crop residues as animal feed and non conventional
feed and fodder ingredients, establishing extensive
and intensive milk routes for milk collection and/or
decentralised processing units for improving the
shelf life of the milk and reducing the losses due to
spoilage. Alternative techniques are also useful for
processing milk in remote areas, which are located
far away from the consumers. Hygienic and energy
efficient methods of producing local dairy products
may prove attractive and economically viable in
such areas. While the elite farmers are keen to
enhance the milk yields through import of elite
germplasm, the resource poor farmers may prefer
native breeds, if serious efforts are made to select
superior sires for breeding. Advanced techniques
of embryo sexing and freezing are essential to
conserve the native breeds as well.
Contribution from Indian Experience / Uniqueness
to the Global Dairy Sector: The Indian breeds of
cattle and buffaloes are bestowed with high disease
resistance, good heat tolerance, capability to
sustain on low input systems, low cholesterol
contents in milk and lean beef quality. These
qualities can be used for development of dual
purpose breeds which can sustain in diversified agro
ecological conditions. India has one of the best
buffalo gene pool with wide genetic variability
available in the world. Buffalo milk is rich in mineral
contents and low in cholesterol as compared to
cattle milk. These unique characters of Indian
Buffaloes can be exploited globally to produce high
quality products for betterment of the mankind.
BAIF has developed and perfected a very effective
and efficient last mile services delivery system over
last four decades. This system can be replicated in
the other developing countries.
Endnote
The Indian Dairy Sector, is poised to play a major
role in the Indian Agricultural Sector, in the coming
years. Along with milk production, the focus on
using dairy husbandry for livelihood security is a
crucial direction to reduce poverty. Such an
approach is very relevant in most developing
countries. BAIF programme approach and delivery
system, likewise, has an important applicability in
similar settings globally. Unique characteristics of
Indian dairy breeds have much to contribute to the
global dairy sector. At this juncture, the Indian
dairy sector offers scope for introduction of modern
technologies in genetics, reproduction and
diagnostics. There is thus substantial opportunity
for collaborations in scientific and technological
areas.
Maharashtra and Gujarat are progressive
states where livestock is making a significant
contribution to the rural economy. Gujarat
assumed the leadership in dairy husbandry
through dairy cooperatives and over the last
five decades, the state has made all-round
progress in genetic improvement, milk
production, processing and marketing. As a
result, dairy farming has become a reliable and
dependable source of livelihood for most of the
small farmers, particularly in the drought-
prone regions of Kutchh and Saurashtra.
Inspite of such importance of dairy
husbandry, the livestock sector has been facing
a severe shortage of feed and fodder over the
years. The shortage of green fodder and
concentrate is to the extent of 55 - 60% and as a
result, a majority of the livestock population is
underfed which in turn has been suppressing
the growth and production. The problem
during the current year, has been more serious
because of lack of rainfall, resulting in many
states especially Maharashtra and Gujarat,
facing severe drought and fodder scarcity.
Many districts are also passing through severe
drought, posing a serious threat to the livestock
population including the high yielding cows
and buffaloes across the state.
It is therefore necessary to take immediate
action to support the farmers to take suitable
steps not only to prevent starvation, but also to
maintain the productivity of their animals. In
this process, the State Government needs to
take the lead to promote various sources of
fodder and feed production and to ensure
equitable distribution through farmers'
cooperatives and producers' groups.
Development of New Sources of Fodder and
Feeds:
While the farmers have been generally using
crop residues to the extent of 55 - 60%, the
remaining forage is met from cultivated fodder
and grasses grown in the pastures and forests.
However, the shortage of fodder, particularly
the protein - rich green fodder, has always been
in shortage due to various reasons. The extent
of fodder shortage varied from year to year and
location to location, depending on the weather
conditions. However, after a long gap, Gujarat
is now facing a severe scarcity. In the absence
of timely action to ensure easy availability of
fodder and feeds, a large number of valuable
livestock which are the productive assets of our
farmers, are likely to be lost and this in turn,
will cause an economic crisis, which is likely to
extend over several years.
7 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
Dr. Narayan Hegde
Combating Drought in Western Region Combating Drought in Western Region
To overcome this crisis, the following activities
can be initiated.
The bagasse available in
all the sugar factories, can be treated with
steam to improve the digestibility. This
steamed bagasse can be mixed with
molasses as well as damaged foodgrains
and compacted in small blocks, keeping the
moisture content under control. The
damaged foodgrains can be procured from
the Food Corporation of India. Such
complete feed can be transported to long
distances and stored for 6 - 8 weeks. These
feed can be distributed to all the needy
farmers through local dairy cooperatives,
self help groups and reputed voluntary
agencies and charitable trusts.
In case of immediate
shortage of fodder, the existing sugarcane
crop can be utilised for feeding animals
after thorough chaffing. Farmers will be
very happy to sell the standing crop (as the
present price of sugarcane is in the range of
Rs. 2000 - 2200 / ton) and the sugarcane
harvesting machinery engaged by the
factory can be employed for harvesting.
Sugarcane with balanced carbohydrate and
1. Conversion of Sugarcane bagasse into
Complete Feed:
2. Feeding Sugarcane:
fibre can be fed easily without any side
effects even to milch animals.
While the state is facing
shortage of crop residues, there are many
fodder surplus pockets in the country
where crop residues like paddy straw, maize
stalk and wheat straw are burnt or wasted.
This has been happening particularly in
Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh
and Rajasthan. The State Government can
provide financial support to selected Dairy
Cooperatives / NGOs to procure such crop
residues and process them locally into
compact blocks and bring to the state for
distribution among needy farmers. Fodder
Banks can be established by Dairy
Cooperatives in villages having fodder
scarcity, to receive fodder from outside and
distribute to needy farmers.
Mangrove leaves and tender branches can
be fed to livestock preferably after chaffing
into small pieces and mixed with commonly
fed grasses and legumes. Gujarat state has
thick mangrove growth all along the sea
coast, particularly in Saurashtra and Kutchh
regions. Thin, tender branches of
mangroves can be harvested by local
farmers under the MGNREGA and supplied
to livestock keepers. This activity can be
coordinated jointly by the village Gram
Panchayats under the guidance of the Forest
Officials as a part of Joint Forest
Management. The distribution of
mangrove fodder can be organised through
local dairy cooperatives or the local AI
centres operated by various agencies.
Vast areas
3. Procurement of Crop Residues for
Fodder Bank:
4. Harvesting of Mangrove branches:
5. Fodder Production on Common lands
and denuded Forest lands:
8 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
owned by farmers, communities and the
Government, are lying idle due to lack of
water and poor soil productivity. Such
lands, particularly the canal banks and
revenue / forest wastelands, can be brought
under fodder production using sewage /
waste water. The programme in forest
areas can be launched under the Joint Forest
Management, using fodder tree species
such as Leucaena (Subabul), Sesbania
(Shevari, Agasta) and Gliricidia species.
Areas under moisture scarcity, can be
brought under Stylo. Gliricidia can be
planted all along the canal, as the foliage is
generally grazed, in green conditions.
However, the dried leaves on the form of leaf
meal can be fed to livestock.
Suitable fodder species can also be
introduced along river banks, canal bunds,
farm bunds, marshy lands and saline soils.
These plantations wil l come into
production 2 - 4 months after planting.
However, they can serve as forage bank for
the future. An agency can be created to
promote fodder cultivation and to process
and market surplus fodder across the state.
Farmers in South Gujarat having irrigation
facilities, may also be encouraged to take up
cultivation of fodder crops such as Maize,
Sorghum, Bajra, Napier, etc. on their fertile
lands which will be ready for harvest in 75 -
90 days from the date of sowing. This
fodder can be transported to fodder scarcity
areas in Saurashtra and Kutchh regions
immediately after harvesting.
To hasten the
process of fodder production and to
improve the quality of fodder, hydroponic
technology can be adopted. Although the
technology is new to fodder crops in India,
6. Hi-tech Fodder Production:
commercial production has already been
undertaken in several progressive
countries . There is an excel lent
opportunity to perfect the hydroponic
technique for fodder production, using
different fodder crops and popularising
them among progressive dairy farmers in
the state.
To facilitate this, interested agencies can be
supported to take up technology
standardisation, demonstration and
training of interested farmers. Support can
also be provided to develop low cost
production units and tools for converting
green fodder into hay and silage which will
help in storing the feed without any
deterioration in the quality.
Seeds of suitable fodder
crops can be supplied to farmers in different
regions to grow fodder on different types of
land with or without irrigation on their
marginal lands.
Farmers interested in growing fodder, can
be selected through the Gram Panchayats
and Dairy Cooperatives, trained locally and
supplied fodder seeds. This kit can also
include suitable biofert i l isers for
leguminous seeds and literature on good
cultivation practices.
Depending on the quality of livestock and the
type of fodder resources, similar action plan
can be prepared in other states as well,
involving the livestock keepers.
7. Distribution of Fodder Mini - kit to
livestock keepers to grow fodder on
private lands:
9 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
10 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
Goat rearing is an important traditional occupation
for economically weaker sections of the society
especially small and marginal farmers and landless
labourers, particularly in semiarid and arid regions
of the country. The very fact that the goat population
is the highest rate compared to any ruminant
livestock species in the country over the past 50
years (between 1951 and 2003, the goat population
nearby trebled from 47.2 million to 125.7 million),
indicates its importance from the point of view of
the farming community. Goats are maintained
predominantly under extensive range management
on community range land, on leftover cropped land
after harvesting and forest land in mixed grazing
with other livestock species, reflects their
supportive role in farming system.
BAIF considers goat an instrument for poverty
alleviation, helping to combat malnutrition in
women and children and as an instrument for
Women Empowerment. The Goat Development
programme is being implemented in Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat,
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya
Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and
Tripura states with potential for extension in
Chhattisgarh and Meghalaya states, covering nearly
three fourth of the goat breeds in the country. The
activities are either implemented as independent
sponsored projects or as an integral aspect of
holistic rural development. The programme
focusses on goat breeding and extension strategies
such as breed improvement through supply of
bucks, nutritional improvement through supply of
mineral mixture, improved health cover by
undertaking prevent ive vacc inat ion and
deworming, increased social awareness by
organising social groups and guidance for marketing
of live animals to demonstrate the profitability. The
efforts taken by BAIF have been widely
acknowledged through projects funded by agencies
such as the Animal Husbandry Department of State
and Central Government, Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR), Department of Science
and Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology
( D BT ) , R u ra l D eve lo p ment D ep a rt ment ,
Government of India and Tribal Development
Departments. The efforts have been appreciated by
Cooperatives, Industries, Banks and Voluntary
organisations. This experience in goat improvement
can be shared at the national level by partnership
programmes in the Twelfth Five Year Plan.
The Road map for Goat Development under the
Twelfth Plan may cover the following aspects:
A. Breed Identification and Development
1. Undertake surveys to generate/consolidate
knowledge of farmer-felt needs in Goat breed
tracts, thereby helping in prioritising issues for
Goat breed improvement.
2. Undertake joint projects for generating
repository of Goat breeds and their existing
status.
3. Take up activities related to breed innovations -
conservation, improvement, etc.
B. Improved Goat Husbandry Technologies /
Approaches
1. Undertake studies on various models of pasture
development/application for grazing of goats.
2. Take up studies for comparison of extensive and
intensive Goat keeping to address changing land
availability situation.
Dr. Suresh B. Gokhale
Strategy for Goat DevelopmentStrategy for Goat Development
11 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
3. Jointly develop innovative approaches for high
production (milk, meat skin etc).
4. Take up joint projects of high tech research in
goat.
5. Identify non-traditional feed combinations and
feed supplements for goats.
6. Take up preventive health issues.
7. Apply conventional and newer biotechnologies
to Goat Development (e.g. frozen semen,
vaccine development)
C. Extension and Marketing
1. Reorganise women's groups with focus on goat
rearing and entrepreneurship.
2. D e v e l o p G o a t c o o p e ra t i v e s / Pe o p l e s
Organisations for effective handling of Goat
issues.
3. Undertake market research for identifying
potential areas and explore ways of goat
improvement through market intervention.
4. Develop and undertake goat rearing training
programmes of various levels.
D. Knowledge Management
1. Study economic efficiency of Goat rearing at
village level.
2. Take up impact assessment/documentation of
work done on goats so far.
3. Undertake joint projects between Department
of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Central
Institute for Research on Goats (CIRG) and NGOs.
The following priority areas may be supported to boost Goat Development in the country.
1. Identification of important goat breeds in different regions: Documentation of breed characters and
economic traits, climatic adaptability, tolerance to various kinds of stresses; Economics and utility;
Good husbandry practices to improve the productivity;
2. Facilitation for freezing of semen of important goat breeds;
3. Standardisation of AI technique for goats and introduction of AI programme through various
development agencies in goats, in line with cattle breeding;
4. Disease mapping: Documentation of occurrence of different diseases of goats in different seasons in
different regions, which can enable to prepare a suitable disease control plan;
5. Production of effective vaccines against important diseases and organising timely vaccinations;
6. Training of local youth, particularly women as paravets to promote goat husbandry;
7. Support for goat keepers' groups to establish Goat production hubs, by providing support to procure
elite bucks and other critical inputs such as vaccines, dewormer, mineral bricks, fodder seeds, etc.;
8. Popularisation of Good Goat Husbandry Practices through extension and training for goat keepers;
9. Marketing of Goats: Selling on weight basis, facilities for goat trading in semi-urban areas, loan for
goat keepers to prevent distress sale of goats, direct linkage of goat keepers groups with meat
processing agencies.
Education is equal to future. When there is determination to pursue education even under adverse situations, the future is assured”, stated Dr. Raghunath A. Mashelkar, FRS, CSIR Bhatnagar Fellow and former Director General, CSIR, Government of India. Dr. Mashelkar was speaking at the 45th Foundation Day celebration of BAIF at the BAIF Central Research Station, Urulikanchan. He praised the bold approach and commitment demonstrated by the women's groups from remote village clusters of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, present on the occasion and their decision to take up higher education and to encourage their children also to pursue higher education. Dr. Mashelkar recollected his early association with the Founder of BAIF, Late Dr. Manibhai Desai, a Gandhian, who he felt had been ahead of his times and was speaking of a bottom to top development approach in the early 1990's, apart from being also conscious about the need to safeguard the environment.
Earlier on the occasion of the 13th Award Ceremony, Dr. Mashelkar, felicitated the best self help groups from BAIF's programmes namely the Samarth Mahila Alpabachat Gat who are implementing various socio-economic development programmes at Urulikanchan in Haveli taluka of Pune district and the Jai Bhuvaneshwari Self Help Group from Tumkur district of Karnataka who were conferred the Smt. Vijaya Deshmukh Memorial Award and Dr. Manibhai Desai Gaurav Puraskar for their outstanding contribution to community development.
The Smt. Vijaya Deshmukh Memorial Award for the Second Best Self Help Group in BAIF's Programmes went to Vijay Mahila Bachat Gat from Songadh taluka of Tapi district of Gujarat and to Saraswati Mahila Bachat Gat from Raniganj cluster of Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh.
The Smt. Vijaya Deshmukh Memorial Award for the Best Self Help Group in Maharashtra was given
in ensuring better quality of life for the women of their villages through organizing of an eye camp, operation of flour mill, disbursement of loan for promotion of various micro-enterprises and for
to Anjanimata Mahila Bachat Gat from Trimbakeshwar taluka of Nashik district of Maharashtra.
The recipients shared their experiences which included the bottlenecks in receiving recognition in their village and support of the Gram Panchayat and other village level institutions and their success
The BAIF Journal12 The BAIF Journal
Foundation Day CelebrationsFoundation Day Celebrations
13
Best SHGs in BAIF Programme Second Best SHGs in BAIF Programme Best SHG in Maharashtra
ensuring education of their children including daughters to making regular visits to the local banks to deposit the money collected from their savings to attending meetings of their groups regularly and trying to solve problems within the group, thereby demonstrating solidarity.
On this occasion, the following books were released by Dr. Mashelkar.
The Milky Way: BAIF in Dairy Development: Saga and Reflections: This book captures the innovative journey of pro-poor livestock development and the experiences learnt during the past four decades.
Papers on Research, Thematic Areas and Case Studies- BAIF 2011: Compilation of research, thematic papers and case studies published in national and international journals, workshop proceedings and research reports during the year 2011.
Sustainable Rural Livelihood Creation and Natural Resource Management in Central and Western Himalayas: Proceedings of the Brainstorming Workshop for Crafting Potential Strategies and Measures, held on 11-12 November 2011 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Meritorious students who had excelled in the secondary and higher secondary examinations were also felicitated. The best published scientific paper “Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on forage yield and economics in maize - berseem – sorghum cropping sequence” written by Dr. P.K. Kauthale and Mr. P.S. Takawale was also awarded on this occasion.
Earlier, Dr. Narayan G. Hegde, Trustee and Principal Adviser, BAIF welcomed the dignitaries and women's groups from various states. Mr. Girish G. Sohani, President and Managing Trustee, BAIF, focussed on the new challenges and approach to strengthen our programmes for rural upliftment. Dr. Ashok B. Pande, Senior Vice President, BAIF provided brief information on the awards. Mr. Kishor A. Chaukar and Mr. Deepak C. Mehta, Trustees, BAIF, also spoke on the occasion. Dr. J.R. Khadse, Chief Campus Coordinator, BAIF Central Research Station, Urulikanchan proposed the vote of thanks.
Ø
Ø
Ø
Landless women in Raina II Block of Burdwan district
in West Bengal have changed their destiny. They are
no longer living in the shadow of their husbands.
With success as their goal and a happy future as their
destination, they have adopted an alternate source
of income which is helping them and their families to
realise their dreams and plan for an optimistic
future.
A recent field visit to Mulkati village in Machkhanda
block of Burdwan district revealed that 20-25
landless women with no other source of income, are
rearing 4-5 kids each, with affectionate care. So
keen is their involvement in goat development, that
these women are familiar with technical terms such
as PPR, Goat Pox vaccine, deworming, etc. which
were their main causes of distress earlier and the
benefit of raising bucks of Black Bengal breed for
better income prospects. Facilitated by the local
coordinating NGO, Deepan Yuba Goshti, these
confident women have taken up goat rearing to
enhance their income and ensure a brighter future
for their children.
During the interaction,
Sh ip ra , o n e o f t h e
beneficiaries of this
programme, took the
lead and boldly shared
her experience and that
of other women in her
village in goat rearing and
how this activity which
they perceive as an
opportunity and technical support, has enabled
them to progress in their lives, before the dignitaries
comprising of Dr. Joan Hendricks, Dean, Veterinary
Medicine, Dr. Narayan Avadhani, Chairman,
Department of Animal Biology of the School of
Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania,
USA and Dr. Narayan Hegde, Trustee, BAIF.
A pleasant smile on her face, Shipra, did not feel shy
to speak before strangers and to proudly announce
the fact that with superior Black Bengal breed, she
and the other women were successful in rearing
goats scientifically, resulting in higher profitability.
While Shipra shared that at the end of the year, her
annual income from sale of goat is in the range of
Rs. 6000 – 7000 compared to the earlier situation
when she used to be deprived of even this income
due to mortality caused by PPR and Goat Pox
disease, the other women in the group stated that
some of them have also earned in the range of
Rs. 20,000 – 25,000 in a year. Thus, the average
annual income has been in the range of Rs. 7,000 -
10,000 for all the women engaged in goat
husbandry. The reasons for the three-fold
enhancement in their income are birth of healthy
kids, significant reduction in the mortality (from 45-
50% to almost insignificant), healthy growth of kids
due to deworming, timely veterinary care,
castration of male kids and better feeding and higher
price realisation due to better quality goats and
bargaining capacity of the women while selling on
weight basis. Now the women goat keepers insist on
weighing before fixing the price. Knowledge has
truly empowered them. All these changes have
taken place within a period of 4 years, since the
project was launched.
Success Story of Goat Rearing by Landless Women
14 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
Learnings from the Field
15 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
The smiling women also shared that they are very
happy with this source of livelihood and that the
entire family has developed attachment to the goats
and rear them with love and tender care. Their
children including their daughters, who attend
school regularly, take care of the goats after
returning from school by giving them their feed and
water while their mothers are busy with other
household work. Thus, the entire family is involved
in the maintenance and care of their beloved goats,
because their goats are now looking healthy and
happy.
As the other women started confiding, they
informed the guests that now with additional
income, some of them have purchased land to the
extent of two acres while another beneficiary stated
that she has purchased 50 grams of gold after
earning 40,000 rupees from sale of 5-6 goats during
Durga Puja, the major festival of this state. As a
result of enhanced income, these landless
women who are easily earning Rs. 25,000 by selling
5-6 goats, are able to purchase gold ornaments, land
and hence, they are also in a position to grow fodder.
The women also proudly shared that their husbands
are not squandering their hard earned money on
liquor and are instead supporting them in their
efforts for a better future.
During the visit to some of the goat keepers' houses,
a woman Field Guide who also maintained a buck,
shared that she charges Rs. 10 per service for 6-7
services provided to other goat keepers in a month
which is spent on the feed. They meet 2 to 5 times in
a month and discuss various aspects about the care
and maintenance of goats. Some of them have also
developed an innovative mini-cot, 1 x 2 m frame
covered with a gunny cloth, with 45 cm height,
where the chaffed fodder is placed for the goats to
feed on.
Shipra proudly introduced her daughters,
Moushumi who was to appear for her secondary
examination this year and Joba who will be
appearing for the examination next year and that
she has also been able to construct a modest hut
with her earnings from goat husbandry. For Joba
and Moushumi, their mother is their ideal and they
are proud of her achievements and hard work and
for changing the fortunes of their family. They also
have a dream of going abroad for higher education
and making their mother proud of them.
The guests complimented the empowered women
of Mulkati village for taking up goat rearing,
educating their children and for their victory in
preventing their husbands from consuming liquor
and wholeheartedly appreciated their successful
efforts and steady direction in life, with limited
resources at their disposal. With one such project in
every village, there is no reason why women should
remain deprived in the country!
Sucharita Dhar, Pune
16 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
The women of Khargipur village in Sultanpur district
demonstrated the process of empowerment when
they came together to form the Laxmi Mahila Self
Help Group under the Multi Activity Approach for
Poverty Alleviation (MAPPA) project initiated by
BIRD UP. Khargipur village is located near Ramganj
market on Sultanpur-Allahabad road. Although
agriculture is the main occupation of the villagers, a
majority of whom are living below the poverty line, it
is not remunerative due to high pH content in soil
and scarcity of water for protective irrigation,
thereby resulting in migration.
The SHG was formed with 12 women in September
2008. Every member of the group started saving
Rs. 20 every month. The group also opened a savings
bank account with the Bank of Baroda in Ramgunj
cluster. The group disbursed loans to its members at
24% rate of interest annually with regular
repayments. The total savings of the group is
Rs. 19440. Within a year, the savings increased from
Rs. 20 to Rs. 50.
In July 2010, the Bank of Baroda extended cash
credit limit of Rs. 25000 to the group at an annual
Demonstrating Women Empowerment
Shree Khemaram was a daily wage labourer
belonging to Meghwal Scheduled Caste. There are
six members in his family comprising of his wife, a
daughter and three sons. He owned one ha of land
on which he cultivated rainfed crops such as bajra,
guar and mung crop in kharif season, with marginal
production that to tally depended on rainfall. He
earned his basic needs by working as an unskilled
labour in Barmer city where he earned Rs. 200 daily
by toiling hard throughout the day. Due to
unavailability of drinking water source in his village,
his wife had to walk 4 to 6 km every day to fetch
drinking water. When he met BAIF Project Staff, he
became aware about diversified-based irrigation
scheme introduced in the project areas with the
support from Sir Jamshedji Tata Trust. Realising the
benefits of this scheme, he decided to enroll his
name. He constructed a tanka with project support
provided by BAIF. He was provided input cost of a
tanka and the remaining labour cost for construction
of the tanka was arranged by him from his landlord.
He established a wadi plot of 50 plants and seasonal
vegetables on the remaining area. He started
earning Rs. 2500 per month from cultivation and
sale of green onions, brinjal and radish.
As a result of availability of abundant water for
irrigating his wadi plantation from the tanka, he has
stopped migrating to Barmer city and is also
enjoying freedom from daily labour. He has been
successful in creating his own assets and productive
resources. The tanka harvests 30,000 litres of
rainwater which is considered as nectar by his family
who have suffered from the ill-effects of scarcity of
water. He is particular about the maintenance and
care of his tanka. He and his family now enjoy sweet
water for a year for drinking as well as irrigation of
the 50-plant wadi. His wife now has time to
contribute to the wadi. She no longer has to walk
long distances in search of drinking water. He says
that no one was willing to come to the desert to help
them. BAIF came forward to show them the road to
success in their otherwise hard life.
Dr. Banwari Lal, Barmer
Tanka-based Irrigation
Maruthi Sathyappa Gasti, 30 years of age and a
landless, lives at Musalmari village in Gokak block of
Belgaum district of Karnataka with his wife, two
children mother and brother. Maruthi is a
participant of the Suvarna Sankalpa Project for tribal
development being implemented by BIRD
Karnataka. Keen to improve his livelihood status,
Maruthi took up tailoring enterprise at Paschapur
village through project support. Maruthi completed
his secondary education. However, instead of
pursuing his higher secondary education, his poor
economic condition forced him to take up work at
the Sangam tailoring shop at Ankalagi village in
Belgaum district. With hardly any idea about
tailoring, he started stitching clothes for men. After a
few months, his skills improved enabling him to
stitch 1-2 pairs of cloth and earning Rs. 40 per pair.
His average monthly income was Rs. 2000 per month
of which he spent 8 rupees daily to travel to Ankalagi
village. He worked for 3 years in this shop. Maruthi
is the only earning member in his family. Since the
last four years, due to old age, his mother is unable
to go for labour work. His brother who studied only
till the seventh standard was idle. Maruthi's wife
looked after the household work. The family owned
a house and an old sewing machine which was not
sufficient to make both the ends meet.
Participation in Suvarna Sankalpa Project
During March 2008, Maruthi was selected for
project support under landless category. Based on
his experience in stitching, he opted for tailoring. As
a part of the first installment, a sewing machine and
an over-lock machine worth Rs. 14000 was handed
over to him. In the beginning, Maruthi operated his
tailoring enterprise from home. In the beginning,
he got only one set for stitching per day @ Rs. 120
out of which he spent Rs. 25 for chain, zip, thread,
etc. and earned Rs. 95 per day. Slowly, the business
improved and Maruthi started receiving a large
number of orders which was becoming difficult to
execute as he had only two sewing machines. After
six months, Maruthi once again approached BAIF for
support and in the second installment, he purchased
Tailoring as a Source of Livelihood
17 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
rate of interest of 11.25%. Based on discussions
among the group, it was decided to disburse loans to
needy members for a definite purpose the money
and not equally among everyone. Accordingly, loan
was disbursed at a rate of interest of 24% annually.
The members took a unanimous decision to retain
the additional amount earned from the interest
within the group as common fund to meet various
expensditures. The repayment of monthly
installment with interest was fixed for each
borrower. Loan in the range of Rs. 2000 - 12000 was
disbursed to 5 members for installation of pipeline
for irrigation, purchase of dairy animals, accessories
for cycle repair stores, photo studio and education of
children. The loan repayment amount was collected
every month during the SHG meetings and repaid to
the bank. The group was able to repay the entire
amount in seven months. Their future plan is to
operate a petty shop which can generate sustainable
income for the members.
D.C. Verma, Pratapgarh, Ms. Veena Halwe, Pune
another sewing machine and pico machine worth
Rs. 11000.
As his business started expanding, Maruthi opened a
tailoring shop in the heart of the Paschapur city with
5 machines - 3 sewing machines, one over lock
machine and one Pico machine. To meet the local
demand, he underwent specialised training for 4
months in women's clothes and shifted his business
as a men's specialist to women's specialist. He now
charges Rs. 120 for stitching a simple churidar kurta
set and Rs. 150 for designer clothes and on an
average, stitches 10 sets a day. He has also trained
his brother and engaged him in his business. Apart
from his brother, he has engaged two more persons
for stitching. Three persons stitch 6 churidars per
day. His brother stitches one per day while the other
two stitch 2 Churidars a day for which they get Rs. 60
each. As Maruthi's business flourished, space was
not sufficient and so he rented a neighbouring shop
for Rs. 400 per month.
Motivated by
her husband's
t e n a c i t y ,
Maruthi's wife
A n s u y a
expressed her
desire to stitch
b l o u s e s a t
h o m e w h i l e
managing the
house with the
use of the old
s e w i n g
machine. She
st i tches 1-2
blouses a day
and earns Rs. 15 per blouse. Maruthi saves Rs. 200 a
day and also has a savings bank account in Canara
Bank, Ankalagi. He also saves Rs. 200 every week in
the Credit Society and Urban Credit Cooperative at
Kundargi. He obtained a loan of Rs. 50,000 for the
marriage of his brother and is repaying it at 16% rate
of interest to the Credit Cooperative. His monthly
expenditures in operating his tailoring business is Rs.
800 towards rent and Rs. 200 for machine oil, thread,
etc.
With the increase in income, his lifestyle has
changed considerably. He has purchased essential
commodities for his shop and house. These include
three stools worth Rs. 600, a cloth cutting table for
Rs. 4000, a cabinet for the shop worth Rs. 1000, a
television set worth Rs. 8500 and a motorcycle
worth Rs. 30,000.
Maruthi has diversified his business and apart from
his tailoring business, he is also selling readymade
churidar kurta sets and other garments for women.
After one and a half years, he was screened in the
first round for Best Entrepreneur Award sponsored
by Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards 2009. Recently
he has held discussions with the shop owner and is
about to purchase the shop and adjacent house to
increase the space for his business.
Ganga Ankad, Dharwad, Veena Halwe, Pune
18 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
R E G I O N A L C L O S E U P
EWS YOU CAN USN EStatus, Opportunities and Sustainability of
Dairying in Jharkhand
To strengthen the dairy development programme in the state, a national seminar on "Status,
Opportunities and Sustainability of Dairying in Jharkhand, Ranchi" was organised by the
Government of Jharkhand in collaboration with BAIF on June 1-2, 2012. The seminar, inaugurated
by the Chief Minister of Jharkhand online, was attended by 40 experts in animal breeding, animal
nutrition, fodder production, milk processing and marketing, private
entrepreneurs, dairy cooperative organisers and climate change from
across the country. The invited speakers at the Inaugural session included
the Minister and Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries,
Government of Jharkhand, Dr. Narayan G. Hegde, Trustee, BAIF and
Dr. Sharma, former Director of IVRI and NDRI. Dr. Hegde presented a
suitable strategy for giving a boost to dairy development in the state
wherein the available resources can be efficiently utilised to enhance the
milk production, involving small and marginal farmers and emphasised
the need for policy support to improve the milk
production, while providing sustainable
livelihood to small farmers.
The other speakers included Dr. B.K. Joshi, Director, National Bureau of
Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Dr. Suresh B. Gokhale, Director -
Research, BAIF who presented detailed data on the operation of the BAIF
cattle development centre in
Jharkhand and its relevance to the
livestock breeding policy of the
state. He also focussed on the value
of such data in ensuring finalisation of the policy document.
Use of handheld device for data recording by BAIF cattle
development centres in Jharkhand was appreciated by the
participants who expressed that the BAIF system of
functioning in rural areas has a good impact in the milk
improvement programme in the country. The seminar concluded with recommendations and a
policy paper for further follow up for implementation. The seminar was organised by the BAIF-
BIRVA team headed by Mr. Anup K.Sinha, Programme Director in coordination with the
Department of Dairy, Government of Jharkhand.
Dr. Suresh B. Gokhale, Pune
19 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
JHAKHAND
R
20 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
“Good governance and management is most critical for improving the forage production
in the country. High biomass productive forage crops need to be developed with water and nitrogen
efficient crops". Partnership with private sectors is also important. It is necessary to develop a road
map for the country by developing 10-15 major forage crops and a need-based local supply chain",
stated Dr. Swapan Kumar Datta, Deputy Director General
(Crop Sciences), Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAR), New Delhi. Dr. Datta was speaking at the
National Group Meet: Kharif - 2012 organised by ICAR
and BAIF at Warje, Pune on May 5-6 2012, while presiding
over the inaugural session. 42% of our population
particularly women and children are malnourished.
Livestock is highly neglected as either they are productive
for semen collection or for other economic purpose while
the rest are uncared for. Quality seed production, fodder
production, and adoption of technologies and particularly
fodder block preparations and other devices are the three
major areas where attention needs to be focussed on, Dr.
Datta added. These fodder blocks can provide better silage
for preservation and for dry season and hence it is important
to develop simple animal feed, he further added.
"Prosperity in dairy is only through green fodder. With the correct extension strategy, one can
popularise forage crops. The livestock sector contributes the most to the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) - 4.7% which is more than that of rice. There is a shortage of fodder and feed for the last 40
years. There are several success stories. 80% of the seeds used in the country is BT cotton.
Jatropha has also been promoted but it needs to be introduced with caution keeping in mind the
income aspect for small farmers, stated Dr. Narayan G. Hegde, Trustee and Principal Adviser, BAIF
who was the Special Guest on this occasion. Dr. Hegde has been associated with the All India
Coordinated Research Project on Forage Crops since the time BAIF was included in this Research
Project of national importance. Dr. Hegde also lamented about the fact that although 15 crores was
allotted for Animal Husbandry Extension in the last Five Year Plan, only 3 crores has been spent so
far. Seed production needs to be taken up. He quoted the example of the 40-cow model in Tamil
Nadu where large farmers are playing a major role in dairy husbandry and the role of hi-tech
commercial dairy in Punjab where large farmers are maintaining 200-250 dairy cows. Hence, it is
also necessary to link with large farmers to increase the demand for seeds.
"Promotion of food and fodder crops, innovate a package of practices, genetic viability,
mechanisation with the fodder cultivation and harvesting, availability of seeds and promotion of
tree-fodder crops are the new directions for the research community, which require attention",
stated Mr. Girish G. Sohani, President, BAIF, who was the Chief Guest on the occasion. BAIF is
MAHARATRA
SH All India Coordinated Research Project
on Forage Crops: National Group Meeting
21 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
working on breeding and production technologies, he added. He highlighted the drought situation
in various parts of the country which along with shortage of fodder was affecting the farming
community, he further added.
Earlier, Dr. S.A. Faruqui, Project Coordinator of the Research Project and Director, In-Charge of
Indian Grassland and Forage Research Institute (IGFRI), Jhansi, presented the Progress Report of
the Research Project. Dr. Ashok B. Pande,
Senior Vice President, BAIF, welcomed the
scientists, geneticists and plant breeders from
ICAR Institutes and other organisations from all
over the country. On this occasion,
8 publications were released. Mr. Pramod S.
Takawale, Centre-In-Charge, AICRP (Fodder
Crops), BAIF, Urulikanchan, proposed the vote
of thanks.
At the special session on "Strategy for improving forage production in India", Dr. Narayan Hegde,
stated that it is necessary to work with all the value chain partners and use animals as breeding stock
to produce better animals. The fodder development strategy should be to work at different regional
levels. Maize production can be introduced in Punjab while fodder can be introduced as a substitute
for concentrate in the North East. Instead of taking up agricultural development in low producing
areas, it is necessary to shift over to livestock - fodder development model, urged Dr. Hegde. He
called upon ICAR to look into breeders' associations to work for fodder production in Punjab. For
seed production, it could be a good idea to involve national and state level seed corporations for
production of animals for better quality germplasm. Setting up of a dairy processing unit for
distribution of fodder along with field demonstration can be planned. Fodder mini-kit is a good
programme which needs to be strengthened with the supply of seeds of appropriate varieties and
series of field demonstrations and motivation of farmers to make best use of such kits. As over 50%
of the fodder comes from crop residues, effective coordination with the Agriculture Department for
selecting good varieties having better forage quality, may be necessary.
Based on the discussions during the Technical Sessions, the Summary of Recommendations was
presented during the Plenary Session chaired by Dr. Hegde. Dr. Hegde stated that ideally, forage
varieties which have been recommended for release at the national level, need to be popularised at
farmers' fields and opportunities need to be extended to farmers. Fodder needs to be the main
player in the dairy value chain, he concluded.
Fishery as a source of livelihood, was introduced under the Resource Centre for Tribal
Development and the Community Development Programmes. Inland fishery is practiced in Bodi
and farm ponds in Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Gondia districts. Superior quality seeds have been
supplied to the farmers and a package of practices has been introduced, resulting in an increase in
the yield of fish. Some of these practices included calculation of optimal stocking rate as per size of
Diversificaton of Tribal Livelihood
22 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
A State-level Seed savers' workshop and exhibition was organised in Bangalore on
May 20-21, 2012 by Southern Action on Genetic Engineering (SAGE-Karnataka) in
collaboration with voluntary organisations and Farmers' Associations. Participants comprising of
farmers' associations and NGOs demonstrated the wealth of seeds in their districts. The BIRD-K
stall displayed all the seed varieties available in Tumkur district such as finger millet, sorghum,
paddy, groundnut, red gram, horse gram, green gram, castor, vegetable seeds, block gram, dolichos
and bajra. Rare seed varieties of fox tail millet, little millet, kodo millet, white block gram and
white finger millet were also exhibited along with the crops and cropping system of the district.
Seeds of rare varieties were distributed to interested farmers for conservation. Shri. D.V.
Sadanandagowda, the-then Chief Minister of Karnataka, Dr. A.N. Yellappa Reddy, noted
environmentalist and Member, High Court - Lok Adalat, Karnataka, Shri. D.D. Bharamagowdar,
noted organic farmer and Dr. Devinder Sharma, noted Agricultural Analyst, visited the BIRD-K
stall and appreciated the efforts in creating awareness about conservation and promotion of local
seeds. Prior to this exhibition, seed jathas were conducted in 500 villages in 12 districts. At the
taluka level, a one-day jatha was organised which included a procession of seed savers and farmers
with local seed varieties and sharing of experiences by seed conservationists and an exhibition of
local seeds. BIRD-Karnataka organised the jathas in Madhugiri and Tiptur talukas in collaboration
with the District Science Centre, Tumkur and local farmers' associations.
M.N. Kulkarni and R.V. Hurakadli, Tumkur
Pond/Bodi, application of lime before release of fish to increase underwater vegetation and
disinfection of pond, correct methodology of releasing fishing, periodic netting sessions to assess
the size of fish, proper feeding practices, etc. This year, fingerlings of Katla, Cypranus and Grass
carp were supplied to farmers. The uniqueness of the programme is that seeds have been distributed
at cost to the farmers while transportation and packaging costs have been borne by BAIF. The
participants were organised into groups of village level committee. An exposure visit was organised
for the members to a hatchery where they observed the fingerlings and only after they were
convinced of the quality, did they take a decision to purchase the seeds from the selected hatchery.
Even during the process of purchase of fingerlings, representatives of these committees
accompanied BAIF staff and played an important role in coordination and monitoring of the
distribution of fingerlings. The organised way in which the entire purchase and distribution was
done resulted in lower mortality rates of fingerlings and greater quantity of seeds received by each
participant. Lac cultivation has also been promoted among tribal farmers with partial contribution
from the farmers. A package of practices has been promoted through a cadre of skilled community
resource persons from the villages.
Yogesh Sawant and Sharat Jha
KARNAKA
AT Seed Exhibition
23 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
Ms. Priya Agrawal, Non-Executive Director of CAIRN Energy, Vedanta Group, visited the
RRIDMA-Hindustan Zinc Ltd. Improved Agriculture, Rainwater Harvesting and Integrated
Livestock Development Project at Zawar Cluster of Udaipur District on May 22, 2012. She was
accompanied by Mr. R. S. Sharma, Chief Programme Coordinator, Dr. J. P. Partani, Mr. Naresh
Kumar, Punam C Lakshkar, Mr. Gopal L. Sen and Mr. D. Pargai from RRIDMA-BAIF and
Mr. A. Sultan and Ms. S. Sharma from Hindustan Zinc Ltd.
RJA
HA
AST
N
Improved Agriculture and Livestock Development
ANDHRA PRADESH
Appreciation for Rain-fed Farming System
The Holistic Tribal Development Programme being implemented in south Gujarat has
been identified as one of the Good Environment-Friendly Practices in Gujarat by World
around You (WAY) and Gujarat Ecology Commission. This recognition has been based
on the very good effort towards environment conservation in Gujarat resulting in its
recommendation and selection for a detailed study and documentation.
24 The BAIF JournalThe BAIF Journal
As Seen By Others
Good Environment-Friendly PracticeGood Environment-Friendly Practice
BAIF has established the
for promoting sustainable livelihood in rural India.
We invite generous donors to support this worthy cause by associating
with us as our Patrons and Associates.
You can become our Patron by contributing over Rs. 25 lakhs and
our Associate by contributing over Rs. 10 lakhs.
Dr. Manibhai Desai Endowment Fund
PATRONS AND ASSOCIATES OF BAIF:
A CALL FOR PARTNERSHIP
English, 136 pp, Rs. 150
This book captures the innovative
journey of pro-poor livestock
development and the experiences
learnt during the past four decades.
The Milky Way The Milky Way BAIF in Dairy Development:
Saga and Reflections
IF V PS RC O ND
BA DE ELO MENT RE EA H F U ATION
B IF in Da y Devel pm nt Sa a nd R flecti n
A ir o e : g a e o s
Rush Your Orders Now!
Registration with R.N.I., Registration No.: 39839/82
Compilation of research, thematic
papers and case studies published in
national and international journals,
workshop proceedings and research
reports during the year 2011.
Papers on Research, Thematic Areas and Case Studies
BAIF 2011
English, 128 pp
Proceedings of the Brainstorming
Workshop for Crafting Potential Strategies
and Measures, held on 11-12 November
2011 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
* * *Sustainable Rural Livelihood Creation and
Natural Resource Management in Central and Western Himalayas
English, 32 pp
From the
Bo k helfo S
Recommended