• To ensure awareness on exploitation by middlemen
• To receive quality agricultural inputs on time
• To promote collective marketing for ensuring remunerative price for produce
• To mobilize resources from external agencies

Based on the plan envisaged by MSK/BIRD-AP, two activities under Agri Business Centres (ABC), were taken up on an experimental basis in 2006 in Prakasam and Guntur districts.  The activities included formation of ABC groups and functioning of organization through a group of like-minded farmers for bulk procurement of agri-inputs and collective marketing within the group.  The aim was to save man days and cost of transportation. The quality inputs and saving of money, time and human resources were the key factors.

 The second activity related to the same group engaging themselves in purchase of pipes with grant from sponsoring agency and availing subsidy component offered through Government schemes with a view to earn their livelihood by hiring out pipes to water scarcity farms for transporting water from a nearby source and in this process, creating a corpus fund from the revenue generated through custom hiring service.

The fund so created was proportionally advanced to the group members at a nominal interest rate of 10% per annum in the form of crop loan. Since the activity needed a technician for maintenance and fixing of pipes, a member technician designated as a supervisor on salaried basis has generated employment.  Similarly, renting out of PVC drums for water supply to needy farmers in dry areas was another activity introduced during the year. The drums were purchased from out of earnings of pipeline activity and added to the profits by renting them out.

Presently, 20 ABCs are in operation in these two districts to achieve self Reliance.

To receive legal identity for availing support from various financial institutions and Government schemes, the ABC of Mareddypalli village is registered as “Sri Venkateswara Agri Service Mutually Aided Cooperative Society Ltd” under MACS Act with 54 farmers.

The National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP), Component-3, sub-project on “Sustainable Rural Livelihoods through enhanced Farming Systems Productivity and Efficient Support Systems in Rain fed Areas” was launched in September 2007. This project is being implemented in the backward districts of Adilabad, Anantapur, Kadapa, Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Rangareddy and Warangal by a consortium of 9 partners with CRIDA as the Lead Centre.

BIRD-AP is anchoring the project activities  in Anantpur and Mahabubnagar districts. The project objective addresses rural livelihoods holistically by piloting innovations to optimize the use of natural and human capitals and by building institutional capability to sustain the gains through convergence of expertise at the cluster level.

The project activities are broadly categorized into Natural Resource Management, Crop Intervention, Livelihood Promotion, Knowledge Share Centre, Capacity Building, Market Linkage and Custom Hiring of Agricultural implements. The significant achievement under major interventions are presented below:

Natural Resource Management

• Area and Drainage line treatment in 125 ha (100 ha in Anantapur and 25 ha in Mahabubnagar)
• Plan for 110 ha submitted  for implementing through NREGS in Anantapur
• Repair of existing structures (1 CD and 2 MPT)
• Plantation of MPTS: 43000 saplings planted on 50 farmers’ fields
• Glirricidia on bunds for green manure ( 3 ha - 4 farmers)
• Fodder production on farmers’ lands and CPR land – Lucerne, Co1, APBN, Sorghum, Horse gram, Subabul, Stylo and Sesbania (82 farmers covering 81 acres)
• Additional water storage capacity of 130 m3/ha and 80 m3/ha of treated area
• Employment generation of 4850 man days
• Nursery lifting and planting : 40,000 plants
• Vermi -compost units: 43 units
• Forestry nursery: 15000 fast growing seedlings  for biomass production 
• Installation of gauging devices to monitor rain water parameters

Runoff gauging equipment such as San Dimas flumes, tipping bucket and H-flumes have been   installed in both the clusters. Rain gauge and open pan evaporimeter have been installed in the VRC building. In addition to this, the water level in bore wells is also being measured to monitor the ground water recharge.

Crop Interventions

Output

Integrated Nutrient Management (INM)

Productivity enhancement by use of bio-fertilizers such as Azospirillum, Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB), Azatobacter, Rhizobium and Vermi-compost was promoted in groundnut, paddy, vegetables and fruits such as musk melon, water melon and banana. There were special method demonstrations and trainings followed by field days to sensitize the farmers in the use of bio-fertilizers by seed treatment, seedling dip and soil application.

Need-based application of fertilizers based on soil test report of ICRISAT was demonstrated in 10 farmers’ fields for groundnut, castor and cotton crops.  The results were found to be significant and additional farmers adopted these bio-fertilizers. The increased yields and quality of seed as a result of micro nutrient application in groundnut motivated 60 farmers to come forward to apply Gypsum, Borax and Zinc for their seed production plots during Kharif 2010.

Yield of Paddy with Biofertilizer Treatment

• Six farmers participated in Rabi 2009-10
• Azospirillum and PSB were provided as dip treatment for seedlings before transplanting
• The yield data was recorded from all the treatments and compared

Treatment with Biofertilisers

	Farmer applying vermi-compost to musk melon
	Demonstration of seedling dip with bio-fertilizer in paddy
	Unique system of cost sharing was adopted in horticulture, ram lamb rearing, calf rearing (individual and community) and fodder development through revolving fund mechanism administered through Salaha Samiti (PO).

Ram Lamb Rearing

Ram lamb rearing through revolving fund mechanism covered 153 families. So far, 4 cycles have been completed benefiting marginal farmers and landless households.  Theaverage net rate of returns is 40%. Creation of assets, income and supplementation of insurance coverage is being carried out through the Animal Husbandry Department.

Community Vermicomposting and Calf Rearing

In Pampanur (Anantapur), 9 landless SC Women Self Help Group members approached the Project Director, DRDA to gain access to an abandoned building owned by the DRDA for taking up vermi- composting and calf rearing enterprises.  The project has supported a revolving fund of Rs.1,41,500/-  to purchase 17 crossbred calves.  The group has leased 3 acres of farmers’ land with irrigation for cultivating fodder. The Women Self Help Groups are producing and marketing vermi-compost as a community enterprise. The same group has taken up calf rearing as an enterprise which supplies dung for vermi-composting.  So far, they have completed 3 cycles, and earned a net profit of Rs.20,000/- from 7 tons of vermi-compost. The vermi-compost produced by this group is supplied to farmers in the cluster and mandal.
    

Introduction of Semi Intensive System of Goat Rearing

Semi Intensive System of Goat Rearing was introduced for livelihood security of marginal farm holdings and landless households. The individuals have to procure goats from their own resources and the project provides support for construction of sheds on cost sharing basis. They have been trained at the Livestock Research Station (LRS), Bandamidpalli, Mahabubnagar. The semi-intensive system of rearing has ensured gain inbody weight, saving of labour and reduced exposure to harsh weather.  Nine families in Mahabubnagar cluster have been supported under this intervention.

Value Addition and Farm Mechanization

Various agricultural equipment and farm machinery have been supplied to the cluster villages based on the needs identified during the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and objectives of the project. These equipment / machinery are being operated through custom hiring centres managed by the community-based organizations. The equipment has been effective in conserving time and labour, drudgery reduction, soil and water conservation and value addition at farm level while creating opportunities for off farm employment and capacity building of the community.

Custom Hiring Centre

Maintained by Salaha Samithi ( Anantapur and Mahabubnagar)

Status of Custom Hiring Centre

ICT – KIOSK for Knowledge Sharing and Rural Godown for Seed Storage

Setting up of a Village Resource Centre (VRC) as an ICT module to connect farmers in both the clusters for knowledge sharing, financial services, input procuring and marketing was included as part of capacity building intervention. A dedicated ICT and market support module was built as part of the project having hardware and software support from the project for coordination, extension services, weather advisories and market support activities. Information kiosks were installed at the project sites. The content is provided in digital form in English and Telugu languages. The development of this module, its installation and operation is the responsibility of the consortium partner, I-KISAN.

The ICT building and rural godown in NAIP cluster, Zamistatpur, Mahabubanagar district was inaugurated by District Collector, Ms. Damayanti, IAS on June 18, 2009. The objective of this rural godown is to promote a seed bank at the village level.

Presentation of experiences in National workshops and conference for upscaling and developing policy framework

• “Farm ponds for sustainable livelihood – A case study in Pampanur Thanda”.Paper presented by B. Shivarudruppa in National Workshop cum Brainstorming on Rainwater Harvesting and Reuse through Farm Ponds: Experiences, Issues and Strategies held at CRIDA, Hyderabad on April 21-22, 2009.
• “Revolving Fund Management and Institutional innovations : Learning in NAIP”.Paper presented by B. Shivarudrappa and Priya C.K. at the National Level Brainstorming on Institutional Innovational held in CRIDA, Hyderabad on July 29, 2009.
• “Institutional Innovations in Small Ruminants Rearing and Marketing – An experience from National Agricultural Innovation Project”.Paper presented by Priya C.K, Shivarudrappa. B. and Dixit S. at the 23rd National Conference on Agricultural Marketing held at CRIDA, Hyderabad from November 12-14, 2009.