 It’s being called the second Green Revolution. All across Uttar Pradesh (UP), the most populous and third poorest Indian state, small pockets of prosperity are evolving, where farmers are adopting new techniques and earning rich dividends.
A US$145 million World Bank-supported program has helped to increase agricultural productivity in Uttar Pradesh. In over 6,000 villages across the state, more land has been brought under cultivation, crop yields have increased, farmers have diversified into higher value crops and many more are using organic manure. Why was DASP Needed? With more than two-thirds of UP’s people living in the villages, the state had a high dependence on agriculture and widespread poverty. There were ever rising numbers dependent on the land and declining soil fertility. The Green Revolution that had fired the growth of neighboring north-Indian states like Punjab and Haryana had only reached the western part of UP. Families in the rest of the state were increasingly falling beneath the poverty line. While the poverty index for the rest of India was 35%, it was nearly 40% for UP.
Agriculture was hostage to unsustainable practices like intensive crop production and over-dependence on high-volume, low-value cereal crops. Further, most delivery mechanisms for technological extension and other agricultural services were handled by government bodies that focused more on annual targets and budgets than farmers’ needs. According to Rita Sharma, Principal Secretary of Finance in the UP government and one of DASP’s earliest associates, “We needed to increase agricultural productivity and employment generation, as well as upgrade our delivery mechanisms to make them more participative.”  Thus, DASP was designed to support the UP government’s attempts to accelerate diversified agricultural growth.
“DASP basically remodeled practices that were put in place when food production was the only goal and the public sector was the only player in service delivery,” says Deepak Ahluwalia, World Bank task leader for DASP. DASP had a profound effect because it used a broad and integrated farming approach that involved agriculture, horticulture, dairy and animal husbandry. Moreover, it aimed to affect the entire farm cycle, from the availability of materials and technologies to agronomical practices, productivity, post-harvest activities, agro-processing, credit, and basic rural infrastructure. In all areas, interventions were demand-driven and need-based. To achieve these ends, the projectconnected with the UP line departments and coordinated efforts with local NGOs and farm communities. Diversification and Intensification The strategy was to raise agriculture productivity by helping farmers diversify their crops and increase their awareness of new technologies. To encourage a shift from the traditional paddy-wheat cycle, more remunerative horticultural crops were identified for each area based on local conditions, as well as market demand. Interested farmers were then given cultivation demonstrations as well as help in how to acquire supplies.
The area of western UP, known as the sugar bowl of the North due to the widespread production of sugarcane (a water-intensive crop with a long growing cycle), best illustrates how DASP promoted diversification: Thousands of hectares, where only cane was grown, are now producing assorted vegetables, fruits and flowers (onions and okra, gladioli and the whole gourd family, tomatoes and strawberries and even orchards of the exotic locquat). And, as the lines of cane-laden bullock-carts outside sugar factories have shortened, those of trucks heading for the subzi mandis (wholesale vegetable markets) have grown. Similarly, in Baghpat district, 65% of the 107,000 hectares of irrigated crop land was once devoted solely to cane. “Through DASP, we’ve managed to wean 10,000 hectares away from cane and another 14,500 are inter-cropped with onions, cucurbits and marigolds,” says district project coordinator, C P Singh. Where diversification was not called for, yields were increased through intensive farming techniques: Farmers were trained to use balanced fertilizers based on scientific soil testing and substitute bio-pesticides in place of chemicals. Also, they were encouraged to take up high-yielding seed varieties and organic manure (like cow pat pits and vermiculture). The program was incredibly successful. In the DASP area, not only did production costs drop, but crop yields rose: Based on the IIM study, productivity of the two staples, wheat and paddy, increased by 10% and 27%, respectively. A similar model was followed to improve productivity in animal husbandry: It focused on improving breeds through artificial insemination and regular vaccinations, and ensuring quality feed and hygienic milk production to reduce milk spoilage. Taking Technology from Lab to Land A DASP principle was to shift basic research to that which was relevant to farmers. It forged a vital link between the lab and land by testing new concepts/techniques on the farms and obtaining feedback from farmers’ groups. As a result, 181 home grown technologies emerged, of which 42 were sent to the line departments for further dissemination.  New methods were developed to restore mango trees and promote machan cultivation for cucurbits. IPM modules for 32 crops were also developed, including pheromone traps and trichograma cards. The genetic base of many fruits and vegetables was broadened, but the impact on productivity will depend on the link with commercial seed growers.
DASP also helped create a competitive agricultural research program (CARP) to improve the quality/relevance of research: It financed 44 programs that addressed production and processing constraints that were hampering UP agriculture.
Farmer-Led Extension The UP extension system, as elsewhere in India, was run by government departments that did not focus on clients’ needs. DASP aimed to create a demand-driven system that involved the community. By treating farmers not only as intended beneficiaries but also as crucial instruments, DASP formed about 18,000 self-help groups, with a membership of over 200,000 farmers.
Farmers with common interests (say, dairy, horticulture, seed production or a particular crop) were encouraged to form groups. While the groups began as savings-and-loans societies, they became important avenues for disseminating information on new technologies.
Responding to the farmers’ needs, the line departments and NGOs secured the technology and inputs, and demonstrated how to apply them. Also, the DASP team helped to (a) procure new high-yielding seeds, (b) create nurseries for early sowing and (c) develop marketing practices that would bring higher returns. In turn, these farmers trained others. In all, 17,906 groups were formed, of which 6,247 were women’s groups. Farmer Field Schools
Technology was also disseminated through 175 farmer field schools that were self-managed and funded (with DASP support limited to training); the schools served as one-stop resource centers for the skills, technologies and inputs developed under the project. Two leading corporations, ITC and ICICI Bank, have started using these schools as e-chaupals, the electronic incarnation of the traditional chaupal or village gathering place. These IT-connected kiosks offer farmers various services, such as credit, supplies and markets. Cost Recovery The conventional wisdom about cost recovery for government-supplied agricultural inputs is that farmers are not able to pay the full amount for them. However, this concern contributed not only to the financial distress of public sector line departments, but also to their lack of client-focus. The DASP regimen, where farmers pay for all inputs – whether seeds, planting materials, semen for artificial insemination, or vaccines–disproved the concept. Indeed, farmers were willing to pay more for services, as long as they were delivered efficiently. Says Vinod Tyagi of Pilana village, in Baghpat “Before, I paid Rs 5 for soil tests, while today I pay Rs 30 in a private soil testing lab. But I am happy paying the added amount because I now get results in 10 minutes instead of two hours. Also, I get advice on how to enrich my soil.” Environmentally Sustainable Farming The balanced use of fertilizers, and increased use of organic manures have not only reduced production costs and improved productivity in DASP areas, but also enhanced soil health and the quality of agri-produce. Integrated Pest Management techniques and awareness campaigns about banned pesticides have also significantly reduced chemical residues in crops. According to the UP Department of Agriculture, pesticide applications were cut by a fourth in DASP areas, while the use of bio-pesticides rose by 195 kg per block. Rural Infrastructure The Project supported the building of rural infrastructure that could help marketing activities. Thus, about 2,600 kms of farm-to-market roads were built, particularly in areas where perishable crops were grown. Also, 103 haats and two cattle markets were constructed and turned over to local village bodies (gram panchayats).Transactions in the haats rose from an average Rs 61,000 to Rs 85,000 a day. Says project coordinator S. P. Singh, “I am confident the DASP method will not disappear because people have seen the difference it has made to their lives and will definitely continue it.” Another factor that will promote sustainability is that DASP did not create a separate working structure for the project. Instead, it closely involved seven of the UP line departments and built their capacity to work with the new model. As a result, not only did the government experience more ownership of the project but several DASP components–like the dairy hygiene program, training of para-vets and supply of farm inputs on a cost recovery basis–were incorporated into the UP government state-wide programs. “DASP was an ideal externally-aided project as it did not create substitutes for existing structures. Rather, it showed how things could be done more efficiently and economically, with more participation from the people, and in an environmentally sustainable manner,” says Ms Sharma. In fact, many DASP components have been replicated on a national level. The Government’s agricultural policy has incorporated several DASP concepts, such as working through farmer cooperatives, the widespread use of IPNM and IPM, and the use of para-professionals to deliver farm inputs. The last word belongs to Ishwar Chand Tyagi, a farmer who attends the farmers’ field school in Daula. His prize-winning brinjals have brought him fame in his district and he belongs to a farmer group that now sells organic vegetables in the mandi at Barhaut. “Thanks to DASP, we now sow what we didn’t, and touch heights we didn’t,” he says proudly. |
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