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Agriculture - ATMA – Public Private Partnership Programme

MCM in association with the Department of Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development is working with the small and marginal farmers in 13 blocks of four districts i.e. development blocks viz, Panna, Ajaygarh, Shahnagar, Gunnor, Pawai in Panna district, three development blocks viz, Baldevgarh, Prthivpur, Niwari in Tikamgarh district and three development blocks viz, Ishahnagar, Rajnagar, Lavkush Nagar in Chhatarpur district and two development blocks viz, Obeidullaganj, Udaipura in Raisen district. This agriculture extension project under Public Private Partnership mode provides need and demand based agronomic techniques and skills to farmers. Looking to the contribution of women in agricultural and allied activities, MCM has totally centered on project implementation with women farmers.

The women farmers are given hands on training on various package of practices for crops as recommended by Agriculture Universities or KVKs in farm field schools. Under the programme platform of Tejaswini groups are used to conduct FFS in each cropping season. On farm demonstrations are done to exhibit techniques of various crops in farmer’s field. This is the fifth successive year of the programme, resulting in participation of women farmers in advancing farming systems.

MCM organized 30 women farm field schools. A total of 208 agriculture and allied demonstrations for crops were organised for women farmers. Trainings were organized within district for 633 women farmers. 37 interstate trainings were also conducted during the year. In addition to trainings and the exposure visits, seeds, fertiliser and pesticides were also provided to women farmers for their farm field schools and demonstration plots.

Wadi Project for Improving Livelihood in Tribal Area

MCM is an implementing agency for Wadi project in Bhimpur block of Betul district for the upliftment of the tribals who possess marginal land holdings, mostly unirrigated and without proper facilities to earn their livelihood from land. The project envisages facilitating livelihood improvement resulting in higher income for tribal population in 10 villages of Bhimpur tribal development block of Betul district through Wadi project.

The main target group of the programme interventions are women and marginalised (Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled caste and Backward classes).

The entire programme is targeting 500 tribal families in the project area under Wadi based livelihood. 100 families will be supported in first year, 200 in second year and 200 in third year.

Plantation of fruit like Mango, Guava and Karonda has been completed in one acre of each farmer in the project area. MCM has provided 30 Mango, 30 Guava and 30 Karonda plants to each farmer. A support for kitchen garden was also made available to 50 farmer families. The land is not fertile and therefore farmers were encouraged for levelling, removing, gravels, manuring, contour bunding and fencing, filling of the potholes. Farmers have been trained to get organic manure by preparing vermi compost pits and using other ingredients. Exposure visits were also organised along with other activities under capacity building programme

Women participation has been assured in all the activities conducted for the beneficiaries of the programme. 13 SHGs were formed among the beneficiaries. One health camp was organised for medical checkup of the families of farmers.

Promotion of Farm Producer Organisations of small farmers in Chhatarpur, Damoh, Panna and Tikamgarh Districts

The purpose of the project is to collectivize farmers, especially small producers, at various levels across several states, to foster technology penetration, improve productivity, enable improved access to inputs and services and increase farmer incomes, through accelerated cultivation of pulses thereby strengthening their sustainable agriculture based livelihoods. Small Farmers’ Agriculture Consortium (SFAC) has identified Mahila Chetna Mach as resource institution to promote Farm Producers Organisations (FPOs) in Chhatarpur, Damoh, Panna and Tikamgarh districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh comprising of Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Datia, Sagar and Damoh districts is one of the under developed and water scarce region in the state of MP. Economy of these districts is predominantly based on agriculture. This is on the verge of subsistence due to infertility of land, low moisture retention capacity, depleting ground water, irregular rainfall, lack of irrigation facilities and adoption of unscientific cultivation thus leading to low productivity.

Project Objectives

Mobilising farmers in groups at the village level and build their associations (FPOs) at an appropriate federating point to plan and implement pulse crop specific cluster/commercial crop cycles.
Strengthening farmer capacity through agricultural best practices for enhanced productivity of pulses.
Ensuring access to and usage of quality inputs and services for intensive agriculture enhancing cluster competitiveness.
Facilitate access to fair and remunerative markets including linking producer groups to marketing opportunities by market aggregators.
To fulfill the gap between demand and supply of pulse product.

Implementation of the Project

This is the first year of the project implementation. MCM is working with 600 farmers in 10 villages of Niwari block in Tikamgarh district, 800 farmers in 16 villages of Nowgaon block in Chhatarpur district, 1200 farmers in 20 villages of Gunaur block in Panna district and 1600 farmers in 29 villages of Pathariya block in Damoh district.

MCM team has provided a package of best practices for fertility and production enhancement of pulse crop to farmers associated with the project. Linkages of targetted beneficiaries have been developed with government departments to provide agriculture inputs supply. Convergence with government schemes related to pulse production, National Food Security Mission and A3P (pulse seed, fertiliser, pesticides) is a regular activity so that farmers get all the requisite benefits from various agencies.

Girls Education Program

Promotion of Girls Education - Mainstreaming of drop out girls from schools into formal education system in rural areas of Tikamgarh district

Mahila Chetna Manch has been working towards bringing back drop out girls from schools into formal education system with the support of Room to Read India Trust to support 37 drop out girls (2 in primary school, 20 in middle school and 15 in high school) in Tikamgarh district by providing them access to quality education and self-development opportunities. For last two years MCM is also supporting 50 school based girl scholars in the same area.

MCM supported in all 87 girls of primary, middle school and high school by providing them with books and stationery, coaching and mentoring support to help in improving their competency level in different subjects. Medical checkup and exposure visits were also organised.

The tutors engaged for the purpose were trained for lesson planning, development and use of teaching and learning materials, language use in the class room and interaction with a focus on activity based participatory learning process to make the learning enjoyable and interesting for these girls at the tuition centres.

Life skill training programme were organised for these girls to impart decision making skills. They are now aware of their psychological, health and sanitation needs. Now they have started participating in their family discussions. Participation of girls in extra curricular activities like science fair, sports and celebration of national festivals such as Republic day, Independence day, Teachers day, Women’s day, Children’s day and Girls child day in school/tuition centres has increased. Now tuition centre are a vibrant place for them. Peer support for the scholars was enlisted through groups of school going girls. Regular home visits to counsel parents about their support and to appraise them of the progress of their wards were undertaken by the social mobiliser. Community and SMC were involved to support the education of girl children in their area to facilitate attendance of girls in school and monitor their progress, thus building community ownership of the programme.

Sustained efforts of the Room to Read team and Mahila Chetna Manch in maintianing close relationship with parents, school teachers and community leaders has developed a girls friendly and environment in the community, in school and in family which was reflected in increased attendance of girls in schools and cases of early marriages are also less. Nachanwara village makes a history when three girls of the programme passed out high school examination for the first time. This trend in the backward society of Bundelkhand region is encouraging.

A Study of Lending Pattern among SHGs in Tejaswini Programme

The Tejaswini Rural Women’s Empowerment Programme, supported by IFAD was launched by Madhya Pradesh Vitta Vikas Nigam (MPVVN) in six district viz, Mandla, Balaghat, Dindori, Panna, Tikamgarh and Chhatarpur in the year 2007. The programme envisages to reach out to 18000 poor rural women through 12000 SHGs in six programme districts. The programme is working in partnership with 24 facilitating NGOs and two resource NGOs. The key aspect of the programme being development of strong and sustainable SHGs and their apex institutions, to improve their quality of life with access to microfinance services, livelihood opportunities and enterprise development, women’s empowerment and social equity.

The MPVVN entrusted a “study of the Lending Pattern in SHGs promoted under Tejaswini” in three districts viz, Chhatarpur, Panna and Tikamgarh to Mahila Chetna Manch in July 2011. The study aimed to look at the Lending Pattern to support the livelihood component and strengthen financial management within SHGs. The idea behind the study was to understand the quantum of fund required as loan, number of women members of SHGs accessing loan – number of times and purpose of loan to identify investment sector i.e. income generation activities, non-productive purpose. Also to ascertain the source of fund i.e SHG’s savings or from money lenders/others. Quantum of ban accessed by each member before joining the SHG and after becoming members of SHG and repayment status of loan etc.

The study was carried out in five location centres in each district selected at random and 5 percent of the total SHGs formed under the programme selected randomly. Out of 3018 SHGs formed in the three districts taken up for study 150 SHGs have been studied to find out the outcome. After compilation and consolidation of data tables have been generated and part of the analysis and report writing has been completed by the close of the year under report. The outcome of the study will be known after the report is completed.