Development support centre - Aims to provide knowledge based suppport to people centered Natural Resource Development : Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM), Gujarat, India.

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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.

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.

DSC, through its PIM program strives for greater equity and efficiency in state owned irrigation projects

An estimated 70% of agricultural production of India comes from irrigated land. As such, the role of irrigation in strengthening and sustaining the agricultural economy is crucial. Unfortunately, the state of irrigation infrastructure across the country is very poor. Design flaws, poor upkeep of physical system, unviable water pricing and bad irrigation management practices have contributed to substantial underutilization which is a colossal waste of investment. Since independence, more than rupees one thousand billion was spent on creating physical infrastructures such as dams and canals in India, yet in many states as little as 25% of potential irrigation is used.

Pilot projects in Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) have demonstrated that many of these problems, if not all, can be reduced if active participation of farmers is encouraged in all aspects of the development and management of irrigation. Under PIM, some of the important irrigation management responsibilities in government owned irrigation projects are transferred to farmers' water users associations. Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM)

The support service of DSC in PIM focuses on building farmers' organizations at village as well as project levels and enhancing their capacity through various means such as training and community organizing. Moreover, DSC helps sensitize the staff of Irrigation Department to participatory processes.

DSC is playing a pivotal role in promoting PIM in Gujarat as well as in the country. DSC is providing policy support to the various state Governments and the Central Government for wider adoption of participatory approach to irrigation management.

DSC is involved in direct implementation of the Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) programme in 56800 hectare of 1 major and 2 medium irrigation projects of North Gujarat . DSC is also in process of implementing Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) in 5000 hectare of Sardar Sarovar Project ( Narmada Project ) to serve as pilot project in implementing Participatory Irrigation Management its 18 lac hectare. DSC is probably the biggest NGO in India working in irrigation sector.

The DSC is also active in providing training to the farmers representatives and irrigation officials. It has a complete infrastructure as required for such training. So far about 351 training programme to 12930 farmers representatives irrigation officials.

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