Sustainable Agriculture & Environment Conservation

• Propagation of Organic Farming Practice

SPPD has been actively promoting the Methods of Organic Farming and Environment Conservation among the marginal and small farmers who form the vast majority of the rural population here to make Agriculture as Sustainable.

Problems faced by the farmers:

• Dry land in a semi-arid region: with no rain for 8 to 9 months of the year
• Mono-cropping of rice for years results in impoverished soil
• Prior overuse of chemical fertilizers
• Lack of understanding of water conservation methods
• Deforestation and very shallow topsoil (5 inches or less)
• Diminished and irregular monsoon season
• Harvesting difficulty as a result of monsoon irregularities
• Adverse impact of climate change on farming practices

To address these issues SPPD has developed the following:

• Phased reintroduction of the Effective and proven Traditional organic farming methods under dry land (semi-arid) farming situations. New technologies to counter drought and increase crop productivity.
• Training of farmers in preparation and utilization of various organic farming inputs such as vermicompost, panjakavium and herbal pesticides.
• To facilitate credit linkages with financial institutions for small and marginal farmers.

Livestock Rearing - Important supplementary income for farmers.

A combined fodder crop/livestock farming system for increased income and sustainability is being promoted.

There has always been acute shortage of green fodder for cattle due to climate change induced unprecedented prolonged drought conditions here for almost 9 months of the year except during the short rainy season. Hence SPPD has been focussing on propagating Ensilaging in a big way for Cattle Rearing, in particular Rearing Milch Animal and Goat Rearing among the small and marginal farmers for whom the source from Cattle rearing provides the very important supplement income.

Tree-planting is encouraged by SPPD widely to induce appropriate micro-climate in the crop area and provide fodder for livestock as well as supplementary income from the sale of timber in the long run.

Farmers’ Producer Companies

One of the latest of Farmer centric initiatives of SPPD the Self Help Groups of farmers are confederated in to federations. The federations formed with our facilitation have planned to establish the Farmers’ Producer Companies (FPC). A few of the salient features of FPC are elimination of middle men in marketing their produce and sharing of profits from the value addition to their produce on a large scale through collective efforts.

The functions of the Farmer Producer Companies will be the following.

• Collection of various Agricultural produce in raw form from the farmers in order to prevent losses caused to them by low price.
• Value Addition to the produce of farmers
• Marketing the farmers’ produce and value added products to ensure fair and lucrative price for their produce of the small and marginal farmers.