Organic Farming

Anand Pattern in Organic Farming

"Putting the tools of development in the hands of farmers"
 Plan of Presentation
• What is Organic Farming? Status in India, NER
• Main learnings from NER
• Objectives of OF scheme
• Implementation Strategy
• Implementation Components - I, II, III
• Organisational Aspects
• Coordination issues and Benefits
 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 certified incl. 0.6 mha cultivated
• 135 varieties exported Rs. 3300 cr; domestic Rs600 cr.
• 85000 ha in NER led Sikkim 75%, Naga 14%, Megh 6%
 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
• Certification complexities
 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
 Implementation Strategy
• Contiguous clusters on micro watershed basis
• Women farmer focus relevant to NER, Prefer SHG covered areas
• Village as operating unit to Federation marketing
• Anand pattern of trickle to flood
• 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.
 Principal Components - I
• Baseline survey, PRA of farmers, Resource appraisal
• Soil analysis: 5 items, 13 items, microbial, SH cards issue
• Cluster of micro watershed 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
 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 certification
• 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
 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 certification
• Exposure visits, seminars etc
 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, Staff 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
 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 affect supra Council solidarity
• Need for mid-term reviews of components and re-strategising
• Contribution by farmers, specific areas by State Govt, rest 100%
programme
 Benefits 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
Thanks