Bor Roppada Kaval (B R Kaval) hamlet in Hangodu village in Hunsur taluka of Mysore district, Karnataka, India.

BAIF Development Research Foundation

Description

Most of the families in this region being landless poor, they had to depend on non-agricultural occupations for their livelihood. Some of the poor had illegally settled down since 15-20 years on 1500 hectares of deforested land at B.R. Kaval, which were legally transformed to them for cultivation. However, due to unfertile land and harsh climate, the crop yields were very low and most of these families owning 1 to 2 hectares of land earned a mere Rs.2000-3000 annually. This was the common problem of the poor throughout the state. Realising the scope for providing sustainable livelihood to resource poor families through promotion of horti-forestry, BAIF selected B.R. Kaval as one of the project villages for launching an agro forestry project.

This project started in 1991 and ended in 1999, funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), through Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART).

The beneficiaries of the projects were 100 families of B.R. Kaval, who owned less than 2 hectares of land. BAIF was responsible for implementing the project.

Issues Addressed

Forestry, land use, agriculture.

Results Achieved

• Formed three groups with the participating families. Under the guidance of a BIAF staff, the groups met at least once a week and reviewed the work carried out by the members in their respective fields and planned the farming activities to be completed during the following 1-2 weeks.

• After transplanting mango and cashew, the participants raised food crops such as sorghum and finger millet in the interspace. They collected all the crop residues and branches pruned from the trees to prepare compost by using improved techniques such as vermicomposting.

• All the members of the participating families were involved in the development of their orchards. They raised many vegetables during the rainy season. Tuber crops were grown under the shade of the trees. Trees planted on boundaries attained a height of 12-15 m in five years.

• The families who were earlier dependent on forests for fuel wood were now able to harvest the branches from their trees for fuel.

• With plenty of forage and grasses available from the field and breeding services provided by BAIF, the productivity of their livestock improved.

• The group as a whole decided to stop free grazing of animals and adopted stall-feeding. This resulted in easy collection of a substantial quantity of dung.

• Soil and water conservation, along with increased manure application, helped improve crop yields despite losing 20 percent of land to tree species. After five years of hard work, the plots owned by these farmers wore a pleasant look even from a distance. A closer view of the plots revealed a wide diversity with respect to trees and crops.

• Self-Help Groups at B.R. Kaval promoted small enterprises. Under the aegis of their cooperative society named as "Deepika Fruit Processing Committee", the group produced about 500 kg of mango pickle and sold nearly half of this quantity in the local market through linkages established with shops, visitors to the project site and the BAIF cattle breeding centre at B.R. Kaval. They also loaned Rs 75,000 for production, processing and marketing of mango pickles as well as for providing credit to members of the group for taking up dairy cattle production as an income generating activity. These groups donated benches, a water drum and stone poles for constructing a boundary wall, to the local primary school.

• As an example, the Alfred family worked hard to maintain their orchard. Their farm comprising of 120 cashew trees, 110 mango trees, 30 papaya trees and more than 2000 multipurpose trees brought them good returns. During the year 1998-99, they sold fruits and food grains and earned an income of Rs 25,350. They have planted a wide range of fruit, herbal medicine and spice species brought from Kerala in their backyard. Good quality grass has been established on field bunds and bee keeping was introduced as an income generating activity. Like most other participants, their fodder and fuel wood needs are almost totally met from lopping the branches of trees on their farm. They have harvested over 10 tons of firewood. There is a demand for pole timber and fuel wood for curing tobacco. The neighbouring forests are spared because of the availability of farm-grown fuel wood. The plentiful forage produced in the area has resulted in the emerging popularity of rearing crossbred cows. The Alfred’s who own three cows, sell about 8-10 litres of milk daily. Being an enterprising farmer, Alfred collects surplus milk from the neighbours and supplies it to the Dairy society at Hongodu. Like the other families in the area who own poultry, sheep or goats, the Alfred family has also started rearing sheep. Nurseries for producing plants of fruit and forestry species are another remunerative activity. Over the years, the economic status of the family and the productivity of the farm gradually improved. This enabled Alfred and Mariamma to educate their children. Their eldest son Alex has graduated and now earns more than Rs 4000 a month as a cable operator at Hongodu. Their second son Anthony has completed his Diploma in Engineering and is employed in Bangalore. They will soon be shifting from their one-room thatched house to a house comprising of five rooms, construction of which is in progress. They have also purchased a pump set to pump water from the open well.

Lessons Learned

During the past five years, this agroforestry programme has made a substantial change in the lives of these 100 families who were earlier eking out a living on government-owned degraded land for nearly 15 years. These are times of prosperity and happiness at B.R. Kaval. Not many visitors can believe the rapid pace at which this village has developed.

Looking to the success of this project, 60 hectares of agro forestry plots have been established by the farmers in the periphery of the core project villages. The villagers are now aware about the importance of trees and the value of multipurpose tree species. They are taking keen interest in identifying the sources for seeds and purchase of seedlings. These are sown by them on their degraded lands or in the backyard of their houses. Seedlings of fuel wood species are available at 0.50 paise per seedling and seedlings of teak and silver oak cost Rs 2 to Rs 3. They have also taken up cultivation of turmeric, ginger and tapioca.

Most of the trees planted on the bunds in the year 1992 achieved a height of nearly 20 meters. They are no longer dependent on the forests for their supply of firewood. Having adopted improved technologies for better crop yield through NADEP composting and vermicomposting, the use of chemical fertilisers was reduced. The water table has increased in open wells and bore wells.

BAIF has implemented this agro forestry programme in 10 districts of Karnataka. These projects are serving as result demonstration units for other farmers and Agriculture Extension Officers of the State Government. This agro forestry project demonstrated the feasibility for sustainable livelihood, without disturbing the eco-system and the environment. Of course, this is the only programme where farmers can earn money regularly, from forests and nurseries without cutting the trees. Thus they are the true environmentalists in a way, where greenery has helped to eradicate poverty, enhance food security and protect the environment.

Contacts

Dr. Narayan G. Hegde, President
Dr. M.S. Sharma, Chief Programme Coordinator
BAIF Development Research Foundation
BAIF Bhavan, Dr. Manibhai Desai Nagar,
Warje, Pune 411 029, India
Tel. (+91) 20 5465494 / 5469955; Fax (+91) 20 5466788; Email: baif@vsnl.com
Website : www.baif.com