30th August Agriculture

The Champions assembled at 9.00am at Deshpande Foundation’s Seminar Hall. Program Officer for Agriculture Mr.Sudam Pawar presented slides on agriculture till 10am.

With a tea break champions headed over for the site visits to SCOPE, BAIF and AME dividing into 3 groups under the leadership of Naveen Jha, Sudam Pawar and Harini.

AME Foundation:

Champions had a group interaction with the farmers of “Shri Basaveshwar Susthir Krishikar Sangha” Inamveerapur village on FFS methodology and discussed how the farmers are being benefited being a part of the group.Farmers also shared about how they are utilizing the agricultural waste & recycling it into manure with low cost method of composting & the advantages of Aerobic and anaerobic methods. Further champions observed the vermicompost pit & briefing by farmers about how to check the quality of vermicompost. Champion’s also observed the Azolla and interacted with the farmers and learnt that Azolla helps to increase the milk yield by 15%. Team visited FFS plot and saw the Raised bed Nursery, Mixed cropping, importance of trap crop etc. Champions were impressed by the process of motivating the farmers for taking up SRI, mainly mass awareness through Champaign, trainings, wall paintings & effective adoption of SRI in the farmer’s field with a control plot for comparison in the same favorable conditions.

BAIF :

A group of champions under the leadership of Sri. Sudam Pawar visited BAIF of Kamplikoppa village.  The farmers explained their achievements with BAIF support about the processes involved in changing the dry and unproductive into lush green and productive wadi. Farmers shared their experience how they secured from food, fodder, fuel and fertilizer from their wadi and are produced sustainably as they conserved these resources in their farming system. Visitors are much impressed with the tree based farming system.  They also came into the concept of soil and water conservation, incorporation of trees with crops, fodder on bunds and integration of livestock to increase the land fertility and income through the milk. Visitors are convinced about the recycling of nutrients in wadi model.

All the champions from different fields assembled at Gramachetana at Surshettikoppa for lunch. Programme Coordinator Sri. Naveen Jha Deshpande Foundation Hubli organized an interaction and shared their learning’s from different NGO’s fields.

SCOPE:

A team visited the SCOPE project site – Mosalikatti to understand the tank rehabilitation activities and progress in the area.

A journey of around one hour took the team to Mosalikatti, one of the remote villages of Kalaghatagi Block, Dharwad district. Beginning with an introduction on the project of tank rehabilitation by the SCOPE with regard to 2 tanks in the last year, and 2 tanks in the current year, reached the place where people welcomed the team and announced for the gathering of the other villages for a meeting. The staff and the villagers showed and explained to the team about the tasks undertaken to rehabilitate the tank such as formation of Tank Development Associations, capacity building for the Associations, bund strengthening, sluice gates designing and installation, desiltation, demonstration of SRI method of paddy, vermi compost, etc. Thereafter, the team had a brief meeting for half an hour with the people in the Temple of Mosalikatti on the project benefits, number of beneficiaries, SHGs, Tank Development Associations, plans, etc. Speaking about the plan, the villagers said they would have to work on a big stream of Tattihalla near their village which would ensure them higher benefits and for that they would talk to the Government and the SCOPE would support the people for leveraging the project.

The Hubli Champions team interacting with the people and the staff, appreciated that they were exposed to a new concept of work and that the project has been well beneficial for the people. Suggesting the project extension to the uncovered people in the village, the team presented their observation that the SCOPE visit has been quite interesting to note the tank rehabilitation work where villagers witnessed a good amount of productivity enhancing their livelihood due to increase in the availability of the water in the tanks of Mosalikatti.

Concluding with an Agriculture part the champions have their livelihoods at their next month.

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