The Watershed Management and the Participatory Irrigation Management programme aim at providing and increasing the efficiency of the existing infrastructure for agriculture development. Though crucial, these interventions alone are not enough to increase agriculture productivity. The Watershed Development and Participatory Irrigation Management programmes have to be complemented by interventions in input supply, such as improved quality seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, better farming practices; and linkages with agricultural research institutes and agricultural markets. The DSC, through its own Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Cell and promoted network Sajjata Sangh, is working to improve agriculture productivity through various means such as bringing agricultural scientists, NGOs and farmers together on a common platform, organizing thematic workshops, conducting farmers exposure visits and creating demonstration plots on the field. These interventions also help the agriculture scientists to understand the problems and the need of farmers better and conduct their research accordingly. At the same time it provides farmers with expert advice.

Under this program more than 62 Self Help Groups (SHG's) have been formed in the programme villages. These groups have been able to conduct local experiments on improved agricultural practices which are spreading in their own villages as also in other villages. These demonstrations include organic cotton and groundnut plots, introduction of new groundnut varieties, minimum use of phosphate fertilizers, efficient use of water, integrated pest management and BT cotton plots. Further, local arrangement for soil testing prior to crop sowing is one of the main activities that is initiated under this programme. This ultimately helps in the reduction of the fertilizer inputs in crop raising. Under the programme focus has been on creating awareness among the farmers about the latest research generated practices in agriculture and animal husbandry. Training and exposure visits have been the main features in this programme. Representatives and beneficiaries of other NGOs working on similar mandate also attend these workshops and training programs especially on groundnut, cotton, maize and horticulture productivity enhancement.

One of the major achievements of this programme so far has been the realization of farmers about the importance of their institutions such as Watershed Associations, SHGs and its federation for the better access to the resources and information for agricultural improvements. This has led them to strengthen their institutions with greater involvement.


AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMME AT GLANCE

NO.	ACTIVITY	ACHIEVEMENT
1.	Institutions formed by DSC to carry out Agriculture Productivity Enhancement Activities.     Watershed Associations.     Self-Help Groups     Water Association's Federation	17 62 8
2.	Membership in these Institutions     Watershed Associations     SHG’s     Water Association's Federation     SHG's Cluster	1357 930 10 33
3.	Public Land development for fodder	65 Hectares
4.	Training and Exposure visits organized for farmersCrop specific training viz., groundnut, cotton, maize and horticulture trainings and farmers exposure visits to those places where other people adopted new and improved practices.	92