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Impact of
the program
Work load on women decreased due to the elimination of pesticide
sprays on all crops. After pesticide elimination the pest load on
crops has come down with restoration of natural control.
The use of children in pesticide spray has come down resulting in
increased attendance at school. The landless are taking land on
lease and started cultivation as sustainable agriculture is
affordable due to low cost of production and more remunerative. The
land value has increased and migration from the villages has been
stopped. The cost of cultivation has come down drastically.
Ecological balance in SA villages is restored, pest incidence is not
reaching damaging levels while in neighboring villages high pest
incidence has been observed where the farmers are still using
pesticides.
The credit worthiness of the farmers have increased and most of the
farmers are building permanent houses. Purchasing livestock and
buying land. Most of the farmers were able to repay their debts.
Villagers are taking quality food which is pesticide free.
Seed Village Program
To increase accessibility of seed at village level and make farmers
seed sufficient and influence policy favoring farming community. CSA
has implemented seed village program with active participation of
NGOs, viz MARI, CROPS, SEVA, PEACE and SPEAK INDIA in three
districts. The program focused on grass root level work for the
immediate welfare of the farming community and in addition strived
for ad vocacy and lobby on seed issues.
During 2004-05 crop season the program included 12 crop types with
498 farmers in 554 acres of land. It is supported by five grass root
level NGOs. Area specific and suitable crop varieties were procured
from various sources, produced and distributed with in and around
the villages.
Apart from training the farmers on seed management methods, the
other related issues like women in seed production, social issues
related to genetically modified crops, laws and legislations of
seed, problems with external seeds were addressed during the
program.
Seed Growers’ Association (SGA) formed under the program has played
a vital role of seed procurement, production, storage and
redistribution of seed on nominal price. The program helped to
develop a linkage with state department of agriculture, state
agriculture university, DATTCC, ARS, DOR, ICRISAT for seed
procurement, technical back stopping and outreaching the concept.
Women have regained their traditional role of seed management. To
restore crop biodiversity farmers took up seed production in
cereals, millets pulses and oil seeds. Altogether 36 types of crop
varieties have been cultivated in the seed village program. In the
era of IPRs, GMO and impending Seed Bill, creating decentralized
model of seed system is crucial and it is one of the main focus
areas of CSA. |
