Covid-19: Food Security and Livelihood Improvement – Regional Centre of ICAR – Central Tuber Crops Research Institute
Under the project, farmers showed more interest in tuber crops cultivation which resulted in increase in area under tuber crops cultivation.
Problem
- Tuber cultivation was not widely practiced due to the low productivity
- Most of the targeted tribal farmers were growing rice, ragi and maize and became over-dependent on these crops
- These crops were more prone to pest damage
- Accessing these areas to initiate agricultural reforms took time due to geographical constraints
- The adoption of technologies during the initial stages of the project became very difficult because of the low literacy levels of farmers
Solution
- Farmers were introduced to the tuber crops and they were given demonstrations on its uses and cultivation
- After farmers’ acceptance to cultivate tubers, Tuber crops planting materials were distributed to the farmers and were planted in the field
- Farmers were also given training on methods of land preparation, planting, manuring
- The crop was monitored regularly by field visits
- On-farm capacity building was also done for the farmers by giving them advanced training on the cultivation and packaging of tuber crops.
Outcomes
- Farmers showed more interest in tuber crops cultivation and the area under tuber crops cultivation increased
- Steps such as staggered harvesting helped farmers to consume more tubers regularly
- The longer shelf life of yams helped farmers to get rid of food insecurity
- Farmers consumed the produce and sold the byproducts for income generation
- Tuber crop cultivation ensured food and income security for the tribal farmers
Project Details
Category: Excellence in Response to COVID
Sub-category: Governance – Autonomous
Project: Covid-19 Rehabilitation Programme: Food Security and Livelihood Improvement of Tribal Farmers
Organisation: Regional Centre of ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute
Start Date: 01-May-2020
http://www.ctcri.org/
Problem
In Odisha, most of the targeted tribal farmers were growing rice, ragi and maize. Tuber cultivation was not widely practiced due to the low productivity of tuber crops and lack of knowledge of the scientific method of cultivation. This made them increasingly dependent on crops such as ragi, rice and maize while other forms of agricultural produce were ignored. These crops were also water-intensive and more prone to pest damage.
Another problem was accessing these areas to initiate agricultural reforms. Because of no proper roads and transportation and the villages being in the sloppy terrain areas, it took a lot of time to reach these villages. The tribal farmer’s literacy in these areas was also very low and hence the adoption of technologies during the initial stage became very difficult.
Solution
Initially, cassava fresh tubers were distributed to the farmers for consumption. During that time it was demonstrated to them what the crop looks like, how the crop grows and how the tubers will form. Similarly, orange and purple flesh sweet potatoes were also distributed to the farmers for consumption. After farmers’ acceptance to cultivate tubers, Tuber crops planting materials were distributed to the farmers and were planted in the field. Before planting, farmers were also given training on methods of land preparation, planting, manuring etc. The crop was monitored regularly by the Regional Centre of ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute for its growth performance.
The fields were monitored regularly by field visits. On-farm capacity building was also done for the farmers by giving them advanced training on the cultivation and packaging of tuber crops. Value addition of tuber crops training was also conducted after the harvest of the crops, therefore making farmers able to sell their produce and develop a source of earning.
Outcomes
After the implementation of the project, farmers showed more interest in tuber crops cultivation and the area under tuber crops cultivation increased. The impact assessment after three years of tuber crops technology introduction showed that consumption of tuber crops increased due to the availability of these crops at their doorsteps. Steps such as staggered harvesting of sweet potato, cassava and yams helped farmers to consume more tubers regularly. The longer shelf life of yams, which is 3-4 months, helped farmers to get rid of food insecurity. Sweet potato and cassava planting materials were the byproducts (vine and stem) of this cultivation, tribal farmers utilised the entire produce for consumption and sold the byproducts for income generation. Thus, tuber crop cultivation ensured food and income security for the tribal farmers.