Smart Villages: Role of ICT in Agricultural Productivity

Suhas P Wani and TeamResearch Program - Asia23 September 2016

ICRISAT’s Vision, Mission and Challenges

To reduce poverty, enhance food and nutritional security and protect the environment of the semi-arid tropics by helping empower the poor through science with a human face

Challenges

Mission

Vision

Water scarcity Land degradation Weak delivery systems Climate change Poverty Malnutrition Food Security

To provide science-led integrated development solutions in the Asian SAT for achieving food and nutritional security along with improved livelihoods for the rural poor while protecting environment for sustainable development by building partnerships for large scale impacts

Current farmers’ yields are lower by 2 to 5 folds than the achievable yields

Vast potential of rainfed agriculture needs to be harnessed

Rainfed Agriculture: Large Untapped Potential

Large Yield Gaps on Farmers’ FieldsExamples of observed yield gap (for major grains) between farmers’ yields and achievable yields (100% denotes achievable yield level, and columns actual observed yield levels).

(after Rockström et al., 2007).

Death Valley of ImpactFood secure and prosperous farmers

Changing external environment New Paradigm – R4D to transform lives

DiscoveryLab/plot

PilotField

Proof of Concept

100s

Impact/ Outcomes

100,000 &millions

Development Research

Death Valley of Impact

Large number of farm holders Insufficient and dispersed knowledge Weak delivery system Scaling up approach is lacking

Why Farmers do not have access to such knowledge

Value Chain

Improved Livelihoods

IntensificationHigh-potential agroecologies• Intensifying crop production• Diversification thru high value crops• Forward-backward market linkages• Product processing

DiversificationLow-potential agroecologies• Rehabilitation of degraded lands• Crop-livestock• Biodiesel plantation• Self-help groups

Scaling-up & Scaling-out

Capacity Building

Participatory Research & Development

On-station and On-farm Research

Refle

ctio

ns

Road Map for Improving Livelihoods in Rainfed Agriculture

How We Do Scaling-up

Two Prong StrategyScaling-up with low hanging

fruits technologies

Innovation at pilot sites to sustain growth

Converge Consortium Collective Action

Capacity Building

Synergy Partnerships Farmers ProducersOrganizations

Skill development

Efficiency(Production)

Valueaddition

Profits Employment

Form a consortium with visionary and strong leadership

Team buildingConvergenceSite of learningParticipatory planningPR&DParticipatory monitoring,

learning and evaluationDisseminationDocumentation

Our Strategy

Kommireddypalli

Soil Health Mapping as on Entry Point ActivityNeeds assessmentKnowledge generationKnowledge formattingKnowledge disseminationDemonstration “Seeding is believing”Results dissemination

Increased crop yields by 30 to 120 percent in AP, MP Rajasthan and Gujarat in India, North Vietnam and China provinces benchmark sites

Yields of various crops with micronutrients and other inputs in the APRLP watersheds, Andhra Pradesh, India during 2003 rainy season

Economic gains due to micronutrient application to various crops in the APRLP watersheds in three districts in Andhra Pradesh, India during 2003 rainy season

Widespread Deficiency of Micronutrients Holding Back the Potential in the SAT

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Maize Groundnut Mungbean Sorghum Castor Pigeonpea

Farmer Inputs Farmer Inputs+B+S+Zn Farmer Inputs+B+S+Zn+NP

ICT plays critical role in achieving the mission of improving rural livelihoods in SAT areas

of the world

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Dissemination of Results

Seeing is Believing Not to reduce capacity building to class room lectures

and exposure visits Establish model watersheds as sites of learning

through hands-on experience Benchmark watersheds for detailed monitoring of

complex but critical parameters e.g. runoff, soil loss, water quality

Knowledge Transfer within the Institution

NGOs

WS1WS2

WS3WS4WS5WSn

Knowledge Dispersion

Nucleus watersheds

Povertyreduction

WS1

WS2

WS3

WS4

WS5WSn

Learning

Sharing knowledge

Capacity buildingKnowledge infrastructure

Institution building

Knowledge Exchange and Dispersion

Krishi Gyan Sagar (KGS) Innovative Extension System GoK-ICRISAT Initiative – Bhoochetana

Empowering Farm Facilitators Strengthening Farmer Field Schools Farmer to Farmer videos using Pico Projectors Tablet-based extension systems Delivery system for inputs Monitoring and evaluation system Online transactions of knowledge inputs to farm produce

disposed

Important Components

Developed sowing date application

Piloted in 2 districts based on water balance calculations taking into consideration rainfall forecast from aWhere using Moisture Adequacy Index (MAI)

Current observed rainfall and predicted rainfall for the next five days

Advisory is communicated thru voice mail and SMS based on the Predicted Sowing Date

ICRISAT, Microsoft and aWhere Developed Sowing Date App under AP Rythu Kosam Project

Farmer to Farmer Video

Short Videos from Farmers

Field Days “Seeing is Believing”

Training to Department Officers & FarmersTraining to Department Officers & Farmers

Capacity Building Programs

Farm Facilitators (FF) and Lead Farmers (LF)Every 500 ha one FF and 2-3 LFs

Training and empowering FFs and LFs To be certified and quality assurance

Empowered Farmers as Extension Agents

Existing drainage infrastructure Household wastewater drains

Wastewater ponds

Household wastewater drains empting on roads

Wastewater: Safe ReuseOpportunities and Challenges

Decentralized Wastewater Treatment: A Business Model

Water Harvested from 1 Ha farm area during monsoon in a pond (20X20X3m) 1000 m3

Area irrigated during Rabi (Depends upon cropping system)

2000 – 4400 m2

Solar pump capacity 1– 2 HPCost of solar pump 1.5 lakhCost of storage pit + drip system 1.5 lakhTotal cost 3.0 LakhCost of cultivation @ Rs. 50000/ha Rs. 10000Crop Vegetables yield (Tomato) @ 30 t/ha 6000 kgAverage price @ Rs 10/- Rs. 60000Net Income Rs.50000Payback Period 6 years

Solar – Drip Irrigation System

Rythu Kosam

Convergence Consortium Campaigns for awareness building Effective delivery systems Value chains and market linkages Enabling policies and institutions Effective monitoring

Scaling-up with low hanging fruits and Innovations in Pilot sites of Andhra Pradesh

Farmers Producers Organizations Promotion Policy of Andhra Pradesh - 2016

The overall goal of FPO initiative is to create wealth for the small farm holders by creating appropriate ecosystem for wealth generation, increasing productivity, maximise profitability and realization of proper pricing thru processing, market linkages, value addition and better knowledge system

Farmers Producers Organisations Promotion Policy of Andhra Pradesh–2016

Operational Guidelines

“Raithu Kosam” Farmers Producers Organisations Promotion Policy of Andhra Pradesh–2016

Government of Andhra Pradesh

- FPO promotion policy

- Operational guidelines for FPOs and Corporates

- Guidelines for DPR preparation by Corporates

- MoU between GoAP and Corporates/NGOs

Fig: Fishermen and women using solar dryer in Barripeta, Vizianagaram district

Solar dryer technology : PPP mode from Science for Society (Mumbai)- 4 m2

dryer unit cost : Rs. 35,000/-Zero energy operating costPiloted in 5 districts: East-

Godawari, Visakhapatanam, Vizianagaram, Guntur and Chittoor

Farmers reached : 1319Vegetables, fruit and small

fish

Postharvest Management

Commodity

*Mean cost fresh (Rs)

Price estimate after drying

(Rs)

% increase in value addition

Farmer attendence

Tomato 47 95 102 283

Mango 50 125 150 20

Potato 60 109 90 76

Bhendi 18 34 112 37

Others 20 42 130 37

Over all 117 % 453

Table: Value addition of commodities using solar drying in Chittoor district

*Mean sample size (n) > 5

Postharvest Management (Cond..)

Bhoochetana To identify and scale-up best management practices

(soil, crop, nutrient and water management) to enhance productivity by 20% of crops in 30 districts

To build the capacity of the stake holders (farmers and consortium partners) to implement practices in the sustainable management of natural resources and enhancing productivity in dryland areas

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2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

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Farmers practice (ton/ha)

Improved practice (tons/ha)

Area under improved mgt (ha)

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Total

Net income (Rs in Crores) 11.49 204.81 599.45 451.80 695.30 1962.85

Net income (Million US$) 2.52 45.72 112.48 82.44 110.35 353.51

Improved Agricultural Practices Increased Crop Yields and Incomes in Karnataka: Bhoochetana

Scaling-up of Technologies for Impact: Bhoochetana

Thank You