Organic Farming

1
Organic Farming

• Anand Pattern in Organic Farming"Putting the
  tools of development in the hands of farmers"

2
Plan of Presentation

• What is Organic Farming? Status in India, NER
• Main learnings from NER
• Obejctives of OF scheme
• Implementation Strategy
• Implementation Components - I, II, III
• Organisational Aspects
• Coordination issues and Bene?ts

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What is Organic Farming?

• Avoids synthetic inputs incorporates technology
  with natural processes integrates animal
  husbandry and mobilises soil nutrients and
  nature-based protection
• In India including NER, small holdings imply
  closeness to sustainable farming except access to
  broader markets
• Currently, 4.72 mha certi?ed incl. 0.6 mha
  cultivated
• 135 varieties exported Rs3300 cr domestic Rs600
  cr.
• 85000 ha in NER led Sikkim 75, Naga 14, Megh 6

4
Main learnings from NER

• Small holdings generally
• Quality inputs not available
• Technologies for production, pest control
• Aggregation costs for distributed small growers
• Market access, limited value added facilities
• Certi?cation complexities

5
Objectives of OF scheme

• Mission approach end to end
• Address risks of climate, production, disease,
  market
• Environmentally sustainable production
• Conveniently marketable volumes
• Farmer controlled valued-added production
  centres

6
Implementation Strategy

• Contiguous clusters on microwatershed basis
• Women farmer focus relevant to NER, Prefer SHG
  covered areas
• Village as operating unit to Federation marketing
• Anand pattern of trickle to ?ood
• Integrating technology local knowledge -
  farmer-led
• Focusing scientists for solutions based on local
  materials
• Continuous assessment of soils bio-inputs
  support
• Hand-holding in management subsidies as
  revolving funds - no personal freebies
• investment is for improving land productivity and
  farmer effectiveness.

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Principal Components - I

• Baseline survey, PRA of farmers, Resource
  appraisal
• Soil analysis 5 items, 13 items, microbial, SH
  cards issue
• Cluster of microwatershed 10-15 ha/ 25 farmers,
  Group saves for mutual credit as in SHG
• Council of Clusters coterminous to village -
  50-150 ha
• District Federation of Clusters 50-200 Councils
  (2500-10000 ha) eventually, less as it grows.
• Support agencies, resource agencies help district
  units set up incl. agronomic packages

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Principal Components - II

• Integrated farming systems focus on 2-4
  commercial crops plus multi/inter/mixed cropping,
  Animal Husbandry
• Farm-level systems conducive to Organic
  certi?cation
• State-level biofertiliser, biopesticide
  production supplements
• Revolving funds for inputs, animal husbandry with
  Council
• Pilots possible for vermicompost - homestead and
  community or other innovation
• Capacity building TOT, trainers, farmer
  trainers, materials local language
• Convergence of schemes for NRLM, OF, watershed
  development, soil testing

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Principal Components - III

• Service Centres for equipment hiring at Council,
  Federation
• Village council collection, aggregation, washing,
  grading including for storage as may be required.
• Federation level value addition and packing
  facility with phasing-out of management support,
  produce collection crates
• Internal Control Systems geared to certi?cation
• Exposure visits, seminars etc

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Organisational Aspects

• National Director and YP, sub staff
• Region Integrate PMUs of NERCORMP, NERLP with
  PMU for OF under overall Director, LP and
  supervision of NEC and DoNER
• State State level Society set up under MOU,
  Training, Funds, Support Orgns
• District Manager, Sta? under Federation
  including some costs of processing, testing,
  outsourced testing. Activities of area selection,
  organisation, training, PRA, surveys, soil
  testing and support with sector professionals
  convergence.
• Arbitration by district Committee headed by Dy
  Commissioner
• Village Council Secretary part paid Cluster
  head honorarium for documents

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Coordination Issues

• Bringing Livelihood schemes together
• Uncertainty in elements, hence in costs
  (vermicompost, SHG savings may speed fund
  rotation) Expect total project investment at Rs
  18,000 per ha
• Timeliness of convergence will add costs (soil
  tests, OF, bio-input production, needs for animal
  husbandry) but may be small
• Availability of seeds will require initial
  multiplication hence delay
• Ethnic disputes may a?ect supra Council
  solidarity
• Need for mid-term reviews of components and
  re-strategising
• Contribution by farmers, speci?c areas by State
  Govt, rest 100 programme

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Bene?ts of Programme

• Increase in Organic production of commercial
  crops
• Increase in area under commercial organic
  production
• Greater income realisation by farmers
• Farmer led process - less Government, little/no
  subsidy focus on community building with
  community level revolving fund
• Women empowerment and capacity building
• Increased exports, domestic markets of quality
  value added products

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Thanks