Agro-technological Empowerment for Tribal Livelihood Security: A Model from Bihar

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Project Details

Category: Livelihoods
Project Title: Enhancement of Livelihood Security of Scheduled Tribe Communities through Agro-technological Intervention
Department or District: Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour
State: Bihar
Start Date of the Project: 15th March 2016
Website: https://bausabour.ac.in/

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Tribe(s) that the Project Covers: The project was implemented in the tribal-populated aspirational districts of Banka, Kishanganj, and Katihar in Bihar, directly targeting 1,200 tribal households with diversified agro-livelihood interventions aimed at enhancing productivity, income, and food security.

Keywords: Tribal Livelihoods, Agro-Technological Interventions, Nutrition, Hydroponics

Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour initiated a tribal sub-plan project focused on enhancing the livelihood security of tribal households through scientifically designed agro-technological interventions. This initiative was undertaken in the backward and tribal-dominated districts of Banka, Kishanganj, and Katihar with the objective of transforming vulnerable tribal livelihoods into resilient, diversified, and nutritionally secure systems. The comprehensive strategy combined traditional farming practices with innovations in animal husbandry, horticulture, and crop management, with a focus on sustainable income generation, food security, and nutritional empowerment.

The Project

The project, grounded in extensive baseline assessments and local consultations, aimed to enhance agricultural production, livestock productivity, and income diversification among Scheduled Tribe households. Through the introduction of short-duration and climate-resilient crop varieties, improved poultry breeds, community-based veterinary services, hydroponic fodder systems, and home nutrition gardens, the intervention sought to create a sustainable ecosystem for livelihood security. Activities were supported through demonstrations, farmer-scientist interaction meetings, and continuous capacity-building. Innovative additions like use of Palmyra palm in animal feed, backyard mushroom production, and community nurseries ensured that the solutions were both locally adapted and scalable.

Problems that it Intends to Solve

The project aimed to address a series of systemic and structural challenges observed among the tribal communities of the target districts. These included poor land use efficiency, low cropping intensity, underutilized cultivable lands, and low productivity of traditional field crops such as rice, wheat, and maize. Livestock productivity was also poor, largely due to unscientific feed management, lack of green fodder, and inadequate access to veterinary services. The absence of income source diversification and dependence on wage labor contributed to financial instability. Most households faced household food insecurity due to lack of fruit, vegetable, and meat production systems and inadequate nutritional awareness.

What was the Need

The baseline survey conducted in the selected villages of the three districts revealed that the average income of tribal households was ₹3,699 per month, significantly lower than the state and national averages. The contribution of allied activities like poultry and horticulture to household income was negligible. With more than half the households experiencing some form of food insecurity, and extremely low adoption rates of scientific agricultural practices, it became evident that a multi-sectoral, technologically-supported intervention was needed. The urgency was magnified by the area’s agro-climatic adversities such as flood and drought susceptibility, which further limited the communities’ resilience to shocks.

What Hindered its Introduction

Prior to the intervention, multiple hindrances affected the potential for development. There was a distinct absence of awareness and trust in scientific methods of agriculture and animal husbandry. Tribal households largely relied on traditional practices and informal knowledge, which though culturally relevant, lacked productivity. Institutional mechanisms for delivering technical knowledge were weak, and veterinary services were virtually non-existent in these remote villages. Fragmented landholding patterns, erratic monsoons, and the absence of reliable input supply chains made it difficult to execute modern agricultural models without foundational restructuring.

Process Followed for Implementation

The project followed a structured seven-step extension and research methodology. It began with situation analysis and a thorough baseline survey in 33 villages across Banka, Kishanganj, and Katihar. Key problems and objectives were identified and matched with specific interventions. A detailed plan of work was prepared, and interventions were implemented through demonstrations, training programmes, awareness camps, exposure visits, and provision of inputs like seeds, chicks, and mushroom spawns. The process was iterative, with regular monitoring and feedback loops. Final phases included impact assessments and redesigning components where necessary.

• Government
  • The project was led and implemented by Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, under the Tribal Sub Plan component, supported by the Department of Agriculture. Although not directly a government administrative project, it worked in close alignment with government schemes and local governance structures.
• Involvement of Community
  • Community participation was central to the project’s implementation. Tribal farmers were directly involved in on-farm trials, demonstrations, and capacity-building sessions. Beneficiaries also contributed to the operation of livestock health centers and nursery enterprises. Women’s groups participated in nutrition drives and backyard poultry, while youth were trained as community paravets to ensure continuity of veterinary services.

Solutions Implemented

Solutions were implemented through multi-sectoral interventions that addressed both farm-based and allied livelihoods. Short-duration, drought- and flood-tolerant rice varieties were introduced to match local conditions. Seasonal crop rotation models like rice-mustard-green gram and rice-summer moong improved cropping intensity. In livestock, improved breeds of poultry were distributed, and feed practices were enhanced. Hydroponic fodder cultivation using bamboo racks was promoted. Community-based animal health centers delivered veterinary care. Household nutrition gardens and mushroom cultivation improved food intake and income.

Details of the Coverage

The intervention covered 33 villages across three districts and reached 1,200 tribal households. Agricultural improvements were made on over 592 hectares of farmland. Livestock support extended to hundreds of poultry and goat-rearing households, and mushroom spawn kits and vegetable seed kits were distributed widely. Community-level services like livestock health centers ensured outreach to remote households.

Innovation and Unique Features

The project’s uniqueness lay in its integration of agro-technological tools with traditional practices. Innovations included hydroponic green fodder cultivation, community nurseries, substitution of maize with Palmyra palm for animal feed, and decentralized animal health centers. These innovations not only addressed productivity challenges but also adapted to the cultural and ecological context of the tribal communities.

• New Approaches: Tech integration, capacity building, culturally sensitive methods
  • Technological integration involved scientific crop management, hydroponic fodder production, and mobile veterinary units. Capacity building was continuous and practical, ranging from nutrition workshops to farmer-scientist meets. Methods respected tribal customs, using participatory learning and ensuring that solutions like kitchen gardening, mushroom cultivation, and use of local feed resources aligned with traditional knowledge systems.
• Co-creation: How tribal knowledge or leadership shaped the solution
  • Tribal households contributed insights into crop suitability, animal feeding practices, and storage methods, which shaped the interventions. Community members participated in trial-and-error adaptation of crop varieties and feeding patterns, validating the technical recommendations in field conditions. Local youth were involved as trained resource persons, enhancing ownership and knowledge continuity.
• How the project evolved during implementation
  • The project adapted by refining livestock feed strategies, shifting to tissue-cultured banana plantations, and responding to nutritional gaps through customized vegetable kits. Based on outcomes, components like community nursery businesses and silage making were scaled up. Implementation strategies also adjusted to seasonal disruptions and infrastructure limitations.

Challenges Faced Before Implementation

• Internal Challenges
  • The planning phase encountered limited institutional memory, absence of baseline data, and difficulty in aligning resource flows. The capacity of the extension system to reach tribal villages was weak, and designing location-specific interventions required additional research effort.
• External Challenges
  • In the field, erratic weather, poor road connectivity, and scattered landholdings impeded rollout. Skepticism among farmers and lack of awareness about scientific farming practices also posed hurdles. Access to irrigation and veterinary services was minimal or non-existent.
• Mitigation Efforts
  • Mitigation strategies included pre-implementation awareness drives, distribution of visual training materials, and pilot demonstrations to build trust. Timely input delivery, participatory planning, and continual feedback helped overcome both internal and external constraints. The use of local youth as change agents and field demonstrators ensured last-mile connectivity.

Challenges Faced During Implementation

• Internal Challenges
  • Field staff coordination, inventory tracking, and data documentation posed logistical difficulties. Overlaps in activity timelines sometimes stretched resources thin. Ensuring uniform quality of service delivery across all three districts required additional training and oversight.
• External Challenges
  • Floods in Kishanganj and drought spells in Banka disrupted cropping cycles. Delays in sowing and poor germination due to weather variations affected planned interventions. Animal mortality in early phases called for improved biosecurity and better infrastructure.
• Mitigation Efforts
  • Flexible planning allowed reorientation of cropping calendars. Technical support was provided to address disease outbreaks. Health camps and emergency input provisioning were organized. Stock registers and regular audits were introduced to improve accountability.

Outcomes

• Quantitative
  • Tribal household income rose from ₹3,699 to ₹5,211 per month. Paddy yield increased by 21.5%, maize by 32.3%, and cropping intensity rose from 139% to 158%. Milk productivity reached 480 liters per ICP, egg production nearly doubled, and mortality rates in poultry and goats fell by 50%.
  • A total of 1,200 tribal households from 33 villages in Banka, Kishanganj, and Katihar directly benefited from the interventions.
• Qualitative
  • There was a marked shift in dietary diversity and nutritional awareness. Households began consuming more fruits, vegetables, and protein. Over 52.5% of households reported improved food security. Confidence in scientific farming increased, and women’s participation in income-generating activities expanded.
• Monitoring and evaluation
  • Monitoring involved scientific teams from the university who tracked implementation using field registers, surveys, and observation. Community feedback was collected through interaction meetings and incorporated into adaptive planning. Internal impact assessments helped refine the project mid-course.

Replicability / Scalability / Sustainability

• Policy Integration
  • The intervention aligns with the state’s agricultural roadmap and tribal development goals. Its convergence model supports replication within other government frameworks.
• Financial Sustainability
  • Some service costs are gradually being transferred to farmers, while community-managed enterprises are being promoted for revenue generation.
• Replication
  • Models like hydroponic fodder units and livestock health centers are being considered for replication in other tribal-dominated blocks of Bihar and beyond.

Presentation

Video

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