CURRENT EXTENT OF WORK ( Jan 2009 )
District : North 24 Parganas, West Bengal ( 22 blocks, 211 GPs, 1612 villages)
Blocks we work in : 7 --- Baduria, Deganga, Swarupnagar, Basirhat-I, Hingalganj, Habra- 1,Sandeshkhali
No. of villages : 110
No.of farmers : ~ 10,000.
STAGES OF WORK
# 1990 - 1994: SA workers undertook various experiments in lands belonging to or leased by Swanirvar for their own learning and for demonstration.
# 1994 - 1997: Swanirvar gave up working on such plots. Instead it got involved in extension work with about 500 farmers in 8 villages. The emphasis was on spreading various SA techniques and elements to as many farmers as possible.
# From 1997: Work expanded to 25 villages . There were major shifts
· Attempts at systematic “trials” and keeping data for proper learning and widespread replication;
· Forming farmers’ “groups” so that spreading SA becomes a collective effort;
· Trying to persuade some farmers to convert their total “system” into a sustainable one, instead of incorporating some isolated SA elements.
# From 2007 : Extension to other areas . Current status (Jan 2009) given above – a five fold expansion of area and farmers compared to status in 2006.
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE (SA) MODELS
· Intensive Home Nutrition Garden Models: year round vegetables for balanced nutrition, proper use of sun and shade, multi-tier cropping, live fence, compost, liquid manure, herbs , totally organic etc.
· Upland organic model in the field : intensive mixed vegetable plots.
· Lowland integrated model : land shaping integrated farms including pond with fishery, rice field, bunds with trees and vegetables, poultry farming. Total trails : 20 ( Dec 2008)
SOIL NUTRIENTS:
· Azolla ; compost (at home ,in the field , with water hyacinth) ; vermicompost, ; liquid compost ; fish manure ; rock phosphate ; pond & canal sludge; oilseed cakes
· Rhizobium ; azotobacter ; phospho solubilising bacteria (PSB) ;--- multiplied in own bio-lab;
· Re- popularize a legume crop in crop cycle. We have tried 11 different species-varieties.
SEED AND PLANT PROPAGATION:
· Trials with new varieties : many rice varieties ; dals; beans ; various vegetables, oilseeds, other cereals
· Production, collection, treatment, preservation, and supply of quality seeds through individual and group based seed stores in different areas.
· A special Rice seed bank
SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION
· Use of mulching in cultivation of Potato and vegetables.
· Anti-Boro (the water- guzzling winter rice) campaign ,
· Use of dew in wheat cultivation by pulling a rope across the field
· Residual moisture crop (relay cropping).
PLANT PROTECTION
· Bourdeaux Mixture ; cow urine + cow dung water
· Leaves of neem , ata ( custard apple) , tobacco , extract of turmeric, garlic, Dhol Kalmi, Kerosene-soap-garlic mixture, various roots etc for pests and disease control in many crops.
· Trichoderma viride in certain diseases.
· Integrated Pest Management in rice : During aman 2007 , this was done with 1556 farmers in about 3000 acres in 44 villages under 22 panchatats of 6 blocks
MISC
· Community Grain Banks
· Popularizing herbals for common disease
· Organic marketing: in collaboration with marketing agency NABANNA.
SPREADING THE WORK
· Various kinds of training are given to farmers and workers of other NGOs, ranging in duration from half a day to three days.
· In 2007 gave training to 1009 farmers and 2360 women SHG members on vermicompost and home garden as per request of govt agri department in Swarupnagar block
· Street theatre has been used extensively for quite a few years for sensitization. Village notice boards, wall writings, audio-visual show, rally, awareness camps, posters are also used.
· Swanirvar participates in several village fairs.
· Written and audiovisual documentation of models, trials, case studies is an on going process; but has been one of our weak areas.
· Good liaison with National Innovation Foundation ( IIM , Ahmedabad ) to identify local innovators and to facilitate exchange of ideas. In 2007 and 2008 we have actively participated in shodhyatars ( 10 day village walks organized by NIF in various parts of India ) and food festivals in Ahmedabad.
Guidance and funding
vFrom 1992 till date, the SA work of Swanirvar has been guided and funded (till 2003) by a Kolkata-based resource NGO -- Development Research Communications and Services Centre (DRCSC).
vFrom 2003 funding is being provided by Friends of Swanirvar, Worcester, England
vFrom 2009 funding is being provided by CIVA
vWe also have some support from Sonja Brodt and Friends of Swanirvar, Worcester, England
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