India has the second largest arable land area in the world
As Indian economy takes a dip, there are many families in far-flung villages, where earning a day’s meal is becoming difficult. In the rural areas the agrarian economy has also take a huge hit. With broken supply chains, the extended lockdown, a lot is it at stake.
To combat the agrarian loss of Livelihood, Development Agency for Poor and Tribal Awakening (DAPTA) is working in the Kalahandi District of Odisha, with women engaged in primary agricultural activities. Kalahandi and other south-west districts of Odisha, are some of the most backward and underdeveloped regions in India. These areas are regularly plagued by famine, hunger, malnutrition, and with the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has amplified.
According to DAPTA Secretary, Raju Sharma, “Kalahandi being a backward area, people go to forced migration every year. Due to this Corona Pandemic situation 50,000 returnee migrants has come to Kalahandi. Now livelihood is a great problem for them. So DAPTA has planned to support these ultra poor women, by helping them learn organic farming techniques and create a self-sufficient farmers market. The women in these regions are facing financial challenges, due to lack of opportunities beyond agriculture, financial know-how, and ability to make decisions. We plan to form women farmers group for vegetable cultivation and other agricultural activities which will economically empower them and add to the overall development of their respective families.”
Organic farming has many benefits, one of it being lower dependence on chemical fertilisers and its ability to replenish the soil. It not only reduces the cost of farming on small lands but also creates a sustainable choice in the long run.
DAPTA aims to ‘Promote Women Farmer Producer Company,’ along with 200 women, who are part of several Self Help Groups. In order to increase their income, DAPTA has persuaded women farmers to engage in organic vegetable cultivation. Currently, these women farmers are dependent on fertilisers and chemicals for which they also take loans from middlemen. In unlikely situations of lower yield or droughts, farmers are forced to pay the interest from their saving. To minimise the impact of farming and dependence of middle-men DAPTA plans to create a co-operative of these women farmers by providing them hand holding support on organic farming as well as set up a market place, which would give them a competitive advantage.
One of the beneficiaries of DAPTA, Sadhabi Patel, 35 says, “Due to lockdown it is difficult to find work. Therefore, we have decided to do organic farming on our small patch of land. The SHG of which I’m part of along with DAPTA are helping me and many other women from my village to understand organic farming, manage finances, and become independent. It will take us a lot of time to set up a business but we are ready. Once I set up our own business my land will provide me and my family-food, nutrition, income and well-being.”
Being a community driven project, 5 community resource person will be trained on different vegetables promotion activities like crop planning, vegetable cultivation, cash crops, organic farming, preparing of organic manure. They in –turn will mobilise their SHGs and provide hand holding support to other women farmers. It is expected that the Women farmers will set up their seed bank and will be able to link products with the market. They will set up women farmer weekly rural mart for better sale. DAPTA will also train them on company formation management and financial management, creating bank linkages, and marketing and keep on overview and progress of their activities.
The project intends to create income generation opportunities for 200 women beneficiaries in 2 years. Subsequently, the program will also motivate other women of the villages to take up organic farming and create a ripple effect of sustainability.
| S.No | Particulars / Activities | Unit | Qty | Rate | Period | Budget (INR) |
| A. | Cost for Program Activities | |||||
| 1 | Community Resource Person | Person | 5 | 4000 | 24 | 480000 |
| 2 | Training on Soil Health Management and Organic farming | Event | 200 | 483 | 3 | 290000 |
| 3 | Training on Crop planning, seed collection, treatment, preservation and grading, Mushroom cultivation | Event | 200 | 483 | 3 | 290000 |
| 4 | Training of Project Co-ordinator and 5 nos. of Community Resource Persons (CRPs) - Induction, roles and responsibilities | Event | 6 | 1333 | 2 | 16000 |
| 5 | Training on FPO management and linkages | Event | 16 | 813 | 2 | 26000 |
| 6 | Training on Financial Management and Legal Compliance | Event | 16 | 813 | 2 | 26000 |
| 7 | Training of BOD members and CEO | Event | 11 | 1545 | 5 | 85000 |
| 8 | FPO Revolving Fund | Lumpsum | 200000 | |||
| 9 | FPO Registration | Lumpsum | 80000 | |||
| 10 | Audit and miscellaneous expenses | Lumpsum | 7000 | |||
| Sub - Total A | 1500000 | |||||
| B. | Cost for Program Support Activities | |||||
| 1 | Project Co-ordinator | Person | 1 | 15000 | 24 | 360000 |
| 2 | Accountant (Part time) | Person | 1 | 5000 | 24 | 120000 |
| 3 | Local Travel and incidentals | Lumpsum | 20000 | |||
| Sub - Total B | 500000 | |||||
| Grand Total A+B | 2000000 | |||||
| Cost for training and set up of FPS per women | 10000 | |||||
| Cost for training and set up of FPS 200 women | 2000000 | |||||
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Development Agency for Poor and Tribal Awakening
The informal initiation started with voluntary spirit from 1989 to provide relief & welfare support and services during natural calamities in Ganjam and Rayagada District. The starvation death and sale of human kids of Kalahandi district alarmed the world. Tribal exploitation & rampant corruption was the main cause of starvation . Right of tribal and women was highly affected. Witnessing t...read more
