NIRMAN is a grassroots environmental action group works for the conservation of bio-diversity; promotes ecological agriculture & sustainable livelihood models through livelihood related functional literacy system approach…

Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative

SDTT Partner’s Meet,Bodhagaya, 24, Jan, 2012

SRI in collaboration with SDTT Accomplishment: 2009-10 to 2011-12

217 numbers of farmers use indigenous paddy seeds under SRI cultivation

NIRMAN involves in…

Implementation activities:• System for Rice Intensification (SRI) • Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI)• System for Wheat Intensification (SWI)• System for Crop Intensification (SCI-Millets)

• Millet based farming system • Organic Farming • Environment Education

Sugarcane in Odisha…

Problems of Sugarcane Farmers• Rising cost of cultivation- Economic unviable• Low market price • Water table depleting year after year (1500-

3000 litres/1 kg of cane)• Unavailability of good quality seed material• Increased pest and negligence in plant

protection measures • Improper cultivation practices• Imbalanced nutrient management and other

practices like mono cropping often result in low productivity

• Unpredictable climatic aberrations

•According to a report published by National Sample Survey Organization, Government of India in 2005, titled “Situation Assessment Survey- Indebtedness of Farmer Households”, 48% of farmer households in Odisha are indebted. Of these households approximately 70% have less than one hectare of land.

•The per capita debt is Rs 9316 in Orissa[2]. A trend of debt bound marginal, small and landless farmers’ suicide cases due to crop loss have gradually emerged in the State.

•During the 1950s, only 3 districts were drought-prone. By the 1980s, the whole of western Odisha, consisting of five districts, became drought-prone. During the 1990s, 15 of the 30 districts became drought-prone. And for 2010-11, 17 districts out of 30 were declared as drought prone[1].

[1] “The Samaj” (a premier Odiya daily), 16th December 2011; [2] As stated by Finance Minister, Govt. of Odisha on 6th December 2010 in Assembly questionnaire session.

Socio-economic Status of Farmers’ & Climate in Odisha…

Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative(SSI):‘More (sugarcane) With Less (inputs and water)’

A new paradigm in Sugarcane: SRI showed a way- WWF-ICRISAT

It is an innovative agronomic set of practices to increase the cane yields significantly which involves using

• less seeds• raising of nursery • following new planting methods• with wider spacing • better water • nutrient management

Basic Principles of SSI1. Raising nursery using single

budded chips2. Transplanting young seedlings (25-

35 days old) 3. Maintaining wider spacing (5X2 ft)

in the main field4. Avoiding inundation of water and

providing sufficient moisture 5. Encouraging organic method of

nutrient and plant protection measures

6. Practicing intercropping with effective utilization of land

• Adopt integrated nutrition management as opposed to pure chemical method of cultivation

– Seed treated with a composite solution of cow urine and lime– Nutrient supplied vermicompost, jeevamrut, along with relative 60%

reduced quantity of Urea & DAP– Chemical Input Management costs Rs 2500/- whereas our INM approach

costed only Rs 1200/-

……. Contd.

Bud treatment – Cow urine, lime and water solution

Drying the Bud chips

We have brought changes adaptive to local resources…

Used raw coco-pith with farm yard manure and/or vermicompost for seedling preparation

Material/Particulars Cost

Processed Coco-pith (Rs 14/kg for 1 Qntl/Acre)

Rs 1400/-

Raw Coco-pith + Vermicompost ( 80 Kg + 20 Kg )

Rs 260/-

Raw Coco-pith + FYM(80 Kg + 20 Kg)

Rs 210/-

Raw Coco-pith + FYM + Vermicompost

(70 Kg + 20 Kg+ 10 Kg)

Rs 240/-

Vermi-compost well and Coco-pith

Coco-pith sieve net

…Contd• Experimented with spacing from standard 5ft to varied space of 4ft, 3ft and 2ft

as well.

Spacing No. of tillers Length of internodes

Height Girth (in Cm) Weight

B M T

4 ft 08 10 cm 373 cm 7.5 7.1 6.3 2.1 kg

3 ft 08 7.5 cm 357 cm 7.2 6.0 5.2 1.95 kg

2 ft 06 5.5 cm 330 cm 6.7 6.0 4.9 1.7 kg

benefits experienced...

Particulars Conventional SSI

Seed 76,800 nodesRs 14400/-

5,600-6,500 budsRs 1300/-

Water 24 hrs/day for 4 days: 8 times in a crop cycle

8 hrs/day for 3 days: 4 times in a crop cycle

Labour (including irrigation)

1190 person-days/ 1776 hrs in a crop cycle

136 person-days / 648 hrs

Per Acre Cost Rs 21,244/- Rs 7200/-

Intercropping Nil Possible(Bonus for Farmer)

• The group of 13 members has taken Sugarcane cultivation (IGP) in traditional method investing around Rs 86,350/- for 3.5 acres inclusive of costs like land lease (Rs 42,000) cost, seed, irrigation, fertiliser, labour (excluding self labour of 789 person-days)

At the same time 9 out of 13 members has taken the initiative for SSI in 78 decimil and invested Rs 14,420/- inclusive similar costs like (Rs 9000/- for land lease), labour (excluding self labour of 63 person-days)

Estimating for 25 decimal cost investment they spent 3 times more on traditional approach along with 3 times more time investment.

•The average production they harvested from traditional fields is 32 ton/acre. While from SSI fields it was more than 46 ton/acre.

•The bonus they gained from SSI through intercropping has been estimated to Rs 16400/- which includes okra, cowpea, cucumber and jute

and a success story…

13 April 2010

SSI MANUAL RELEASE in Oriya

2009-12: SSI in Orissawith AgSRI Agriculture services Pvt Ltd support…

Type of Farmers covered in Intervention

FarmerCategory

Medium farmers

Small farmers

MarginalFarmers

Landless Farmers

Share croppers

% of Farmers in 2010

3.57 7.14 66 25 58

% of Farmers in 2011

0 35 55 10 55

Horizontal expansion of SSI

2009 2010 2011 2012

District 1 3 3 6

Block 1 5 10 16

Panchayat 2 6 25 43

Village 7 17 40 81

Farmers 20 56 365 610

Acre(s) 4 29.73 205 350

Type of Land, Cane Variety & Relative Productivity

Cane Variety No. of Farmers

CO-6907 125

86-V-96 14

83-R-23 12

1053 03

Raghunath 01

Nilamadhab 01

Biswanath 03

Charchika 01

Cane Productivity Vs Type of Land

Land Type Low Medium Upland

Cane Yield (MT/ha)

46 60 54

The Strategic Interventions……from October 2010 to till date

•60 village meetings•1287 individual interactions•30 nos. of Farmers’ training at the bud chipping, seedling preparation and transplantation site covered 639 farmers’•30 nos. of SSI demonstration• 21 nos. of Knowledge Sharing Meets•7 Block level SSI Experience sharing workshop

Dr. Loga’s interaction with govt. officials

Video documentation

•Participation in State level Agriculture Fair with ATMA, Nayagarh•Participation in District level Exhibition at Nayagarh & Boudh

Providing Technical support to Dept. of Agriculture, Nayagarh for 20010-11 & 2011-12 and under RKVY-Sugarcane Devp. Prog. and the same to Bargarh in 2012.

Expansion Plan of SSI in 2012…

Liaison office

Regd. office

SSI district

6 Districts16 Blocks43 Panchayats81 Villages610 Farmers350 Acres

Photo GalleryBud Chipping

Transplantation in progress

Raising seedling as IGA

Preparing organic manure

Photo Gallery

promoting SSI

SSI Training camp

Interaction at field

Experience sharing workshop

Photo Gallery of SRI

Women in Organic- SRI

Thank you…