Sehgal Foundation’s Agricultural Development Program promotes sustainable livelihoods by building the capacities of farmers, including women producers, on improved agricultural practices and new technologies that increase crop yields, conserve water, and improve soil fertility.
The team works with smallholder farmers in rain-fed and irrigated areas to facilitate adoption of improved and advanced agricultural practices that include soil health management, crop production management, input-use efficiency, small farm mechanization, water-efficient irrigation techniques, horticultural development, livestock management, and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in agriculture.
To enable marginal landholders to rise above the poverty line, they must be able to generate more income from the same piece of land as well as meet the minimum dietary energy requirements for the whole family. This is possible by making efficient use of agri-inputs and natural resources (land and water), cultivation of demand-oriented high-value crops, and income diversification through horticulture and animal husbandry. Introduction of more-efficient animal husbandry practices for marginal and sub-marginal farm households can be used as an agro-rural income model.
Most of India’s farmers use old seed varieties, apply fertilizers arbitrarily without soil testing, and do not follow appropriate agronomic practices. In addition, in the absence of reliable sources of information, farmers rely on input suppliers and retailers for pest and disease management.
Sehgal Foundation addresses this using the principle of “seeing is believing,” where the steps of program implementation are undertaken with the full participation of the farmers, and the operations and results are demonstrated on the farmers’ own fields. A crop-specific ‘package of practices’ (POP) is designed that includes inputs such as quality seeds and need-based fertilizers and essential micronutrients.
The Sehgal Foundation team has demonstrated that successful mechanization of small landholdings is possible with adequate training and the creation of shareable infrastructure at subsidized rates. Such interventions at the level of the smallholder farmers encourage them to continue with agriculture and refrain from migration.
The team introduces solar irrigation pumps, farm mechanization equipment (zero tillage, maize sheller, potato planter, solar sprayers); new practices such as hi-tech vegetable nurseries, crop diversification, and kitchen gardens; and livestock management such as goat-rearing and preventive animal healthcare services through health camps and animal nutrient management. Subsidies for farm mechanization come partly from the government and partly from the project, and are provided for first-time buyers of the machines only.
Farmers earn additional income by renting out their machines to other farmers. With the adoption of farm mechanization, crop productivity increases. Farm water conservation is promoted using sprinklers, drip irrigation, laser land leveling, Zeba water-absorbent soil input, farm bunds, and irrigation ponds. The Sehgal Foundation team builds the capacities of the farmers during the project periods and further links them with various institutions.
Examples from the field
Sehgal Foundation’s efforts in the Bihar state on farm mechanization have shown much impact and scalability with farmers coming ahead and adopting farm machineries.
“I purchased a potato planter, where I had to pay a subsidized rate of only Rs. 20,000. I sowed around fifty-five acres of potatoes in my village and in other villages by renting my machine, which provided an extra income of Rs. 110,000. The profit amount helped me to start a poultry farm, purchase a laser land leveler, and provide better education for my children.”—Ram Pukar Kushwaha, Ghanshyam Pakdi, East Champaran, Bihar
Shiv Kumar from Ladaura village, Samastipur district, Bihar, is a small farmer with two acres of land where he cultivates paddy, wheat, and sometimes seasonal vegetables. Shiv had previously purchased a tractor on loan for farming. He harbored a zeal to move away from traditional methods and use farm machinery, but the high costs and processes involved prevented him from doing so.
Shiv became acquainted with the reaper in a community meeting held by Sehgal Foundation. A reaper is a tractor-mounted machine used for crop-cutting. Its use reduces the demand for labor, saves time, and reduces the cost of harvesting. A bit wary of investing money, Kumar was encouraged by the team and provided with a contribution of Rs. 20,000 for a reaper in 2018. Shiv decided to opt for farm mechanization and entrepreneurship, and he rents his machine to fellow villagers, charging Rs. 1,000 per acre.
Shiv says, “I managed to reap 150 acres of crops in a span of fifteen days and earned almost Rs. 150,000.”
When he shares his reaper machine with nearby villages, he charges Rs. 1,200 to harvest one acre. When the crops are ready for harvesting, there is huge demand for manual labor. Occasional laborers do not take cash but instead charge 10 percent of the total yield against one acre harvesting as wages. Along with the cost of labor, the dearth of laborers acts as a hindrance since most laborers migrate elsewhere during harvest time.
Praveen Kumar, from Babupur, Warisnagar, who also benefited from Shiv Kumar’s reaper to gather the crop, was able to harvest twenty-five acres of his wheat crop. He shares, “It saves time, reduces drudgery, and prevents us from toiling in the hot weather.”
Krishna Thakur, who harvested five acres of his crop, adds, “The work is fast, and we do not have to wait for the laborers.”
The economics, as shared by the farmers, indicate that the reaper use costs them Rs. 1,000–1,200 per acre (average time taken to harvest one acre is one hour), whereas manual harvesting takes about ten laborers for one acre, each to be paid Rs. 250 per day. Besides cost savings, use of a reaper mitigates the risk of crop damage.
Praveen adds, “Weather has become unpredictable nowadays with parts of Bihar also receiving hailstorms. Since manual harvesting takes a lot of time, there is a greater risk. There is a dearth of laborers here also.”
Farmers such as Ram Pukar and Shiv have benefited from farm mechanization and managed to earn extra income through resource sharing. This type of agro-enterprise promised to improve the lives of more rural people.
(Sehgal Foundation is a rural development NGO registered as a charitable trust in India since 1999 to envision every person across rural India empowered to lead a more secure, dignified, and prosperous life. For more information, visit www.smsfoundation.org)
