Agriculture Enhancement Program (LEPNRM)

Field days for sharing wheat demonstration experiences in Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) areas (LEPNRM)

As an agriculture extension policy, the rainfed and irrigated agriculture units including Dharoi, Guhai and MAZUM organized 28 ( one day field days on wheat demonstrations covering 1470 farmers. The beneficiary-farmers who are managing the demonstrations shared experiences with the other visiting farmers during the field day. The extension volunteers of federations helped the local DSC teams to organize these field days. The farmers visited  the wheat plot and interacted with the farmer. Each field day covered about 60 farmers; DSC agriculture professionals facilitated the discussion comparing local and improved crop practices of wheat and their implications. Hence, DSC  shared the experiences of 90 farmers to about 1500 other farmers.

Seed processing of wheat in Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) areas (under LEPNRM project)

Wheat is main rabi crop in all the field units of DSC. DSC observed that farmers need DSC`s support in exploring appropriate seed varieties and improving prevailing crop practice in order to change the present situation of high cost, risks and reducing production and net income from this important crop. Keeping in view the need, DSC selected 90 farmers of Dharoi, Guhai and Mazum for new variety and method demonstration of wheat crop. DSC`s agriculture professionals and federations members have monitored the demonstrations right from the sowing to harvesting processes. Except 2, almost 100% demonstrations are technically sound and successful. As per a rough estimate, the per bigha additional benefits from cost saving and increased yield would be Rs. 500 and Rs. 3,000 respectively. This is a result of adoption of the recommended practices, introduction of new seed varieties, seed treatment, soil testing, controlled use of seed, fertilizers & pesticides and proper irrigation by the farmers.

On 7th and 20th February, 08, two workshops were organized at Vadnagar Dharoi and Himmatnagar for discussing the value addition to wheat to be produced from these demonstrations and its benefit to the farmers. The farmers learnt that direct selling of field wheat would give lowest price of Rs. 8-9 per kg while the cleaned and graded wheat grain would be sold @ Rs. 12-15 pr kg while seed is sold @ Rs. 18-20/ kg. It is expected that the farmers can reap additional Rs. 5000-6000 per bigha by processing the entire production in to seed. The cost of manual seed processing would be Rs. 1-2/kg. Besides direct benefits to farmer, the seed production would benefit other farmers in the next rabi season. The 50 farmers of Guhai and Mazum expect to produce about 550 quintals of wheat while 40 farmers of Dharoi would produce about 250 quintals of wheat. The federations have decided to take up seed processing on pilot basis with support from DSC. DSC and federations are working on the business development plan and technical and administration aspects for the pilot seed processing units.