THE BAIF JOURNALBAIF Journal April... · Dr. Sudha N. Murty Mr. Pratap G. Pawar Mr. Sharad Upasani Dr. Narayan G. Hegde Mr. Ramesh Rawal Mr. Girish G. Sohani ... through small dairy

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: [email protected] 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


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


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.


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.


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:


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:



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


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


Learnings from the Field


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


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


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


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


JHAKHAND

R


“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


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


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


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.


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

Documents

THE BAIF JOURNALBAIF Journal April... · Dr. Sudha N. Murty Mr. Pratap G. Pawar Mr. Sharad Upasani Dr. Narayan G. Hegde Mr. Ramesh Rawal Mr. Girish G. Sohani ... through small dairy