Proceedings of Review Meeting of KVKs of Zone II

A review and planning workshop for was held for the NICRA KVKs of Zone II on 23rd and 24th May, 2012 at CARI, Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar. The agenda for the workshop was to:

• Review progress of NICRA interventions for 2011-12
• Finalize action plan for 2012-13

The review was Chaired by Dr. A.K.Singh, Zonal Project Director, Zone II and attended by Dr.R.P.Singh `Ratan’, DEE, BAU, Ranchi, Dr Sreenath Dixit, Principal Scientist and Coordinator TDC-NICRA and Dr. S.K.Roy, Senior Scientist, ZPD II, the PCs of 14 KVKs implementing NICRA (PC of KVK, Malda could not attend due to ill health). The list of participants is given at Annexure. The salient points pertaining to each KVK are summarised below:

KVK, Nawadah

• Only those interventions that can be justified in relation to the climate variability should be implemented.
• Practices like seed treatment, INM, IPM etc., need to be integrated with crop intervention aimed at adaptation to climate variability.
• Improved housing for poultry can be an intervention.
• Drought tolerant / heat tolerant breeds of livestock to be promoted in NICRA adopted village.
• Training on Account Maintenance may be included for capacity building of SHGs.
• Criteria for including a variety in the project should be its tolerance to drought instead of high yielding.
• Multi cut fodders should be promoted on part of the project.

KVK, Koderma

• Inlets and outlets should be stone pitched and silt trap should be laid before letting the harvested rainwater into the structure.
• Minor millets should be promoted for drought resilience.
• Promotion of micro-irrigation with harvested rainwater may be given priority.

KVK, Gumla

• Each intervention needs to defended interms of it climate variability resilience.
• Other KVKs can place demand for ragi (GPU-28 var.) on payment basis from this KVK.
• Effect of borabandi on groundwater recharge may be quantified.

KVK, Buxar

• No input support should be provided in promoting zero till wheat.
• Demonstration of drip irrigation in multi tier cropping system should be made in convergence with the line departments.
• Interventions in IFS model need to be well defined.
• Whole action plan need to be revised in the context of NICRA objective and to sent to ZPD by 30th May, 2012.

KVK, Chatra

• A detailed write up needed on the topic of conversion of 28 ha of waste land into pond by District Administration and to be sent to ZPD at the earliest.
• Mustard seed (var. Shiwani) demonstration is good and 2.0 kg seed to be supplied to KVK, Port Blair through ZPD.
• Intervention of irrigation by alternate furrow for potato crop to be dropped as it is not a recommended practice.
• More emphasis to be given to NRM interventions by reducing the crop related interventions.

KVK, South 24 Pgs (Nimpith)

• The methodology for sampling developing parasitological map to be mailed to ZPD, CARI and CRIDA.

KVK, South 24 Pgs (Nimpith)

• A write up on stubble mulching and banana leaf mulching may be sent to newsletter along with photos.
• CARI Brinjal-1 to be up scaled to 25 farmers.
• Backyard poultry and pig farming need to be correlated to climate vulnerability.
• Convergence with MNREGA is needed for BBF and pond construction possibility be explore.
• “Construction” word be replaced with “renovation” in action plan.
• Registration fee for CAA to be borne by the farmers and may be dropped from the action plan.
• Rental for the NICRA office room in the village is too high. The rent may be negotiated.
• Small low lift pump may be purchased on need basis, electrical pump be dropped.

KVK, Coochbehar

• IPM in paddy should not be a standalone practice; it is to be a part of rice demonstration of variety (var. Gotra Bidhan – 1).
• Broad based furrow can be changed to paired row furrow system.
• Cultivation of maize (var. All rounder) may be dropped.
• Action plan need to be revised and sent to ZPD II for final approval.

KVK, Supaul

• Varietal demonstration of technology should be related to climate resilient agriculture.
• The action plan should be revised and send to ZPD by 30th May, 2012.

KVK, Palamau

• Locally available millets may be taken up on a large scale.
• IPM, IDM should be a part of full package of practice of crop intervention.
• Locally cultivated millets and short duration paddy varieties should be promoted.
• Relation of cultivation of Kufri Kanchan with climate vulnerability need to be specified.
• The effect of vaccination in project area and neighbouring areas in relation to climate variability should be documented.
• Millets may be encouraged in place of maize cultivation and seed bank for millets should be established.
• Integrated approach for live stock interventions is needed.
• Agro advisory services to the farmers may be dropped, as there is no required capacity for the intervention.
• Integrated crop management is a part of crop intervention, need not be taken as a separate intervention.
• NRM activities need to be increased.
• Action plan may be revised and sent to ZPD & CRIDA by 30th May 2012.

KVK, Jehanabad

• Buy back is not a technology but a method.
• Farmers need to contribute a minimum of 50% of the balance amount after availing subsidy for installing micro irrigation system under the line department.
• Defunct WHSs and wells need to be identified and renovated.
• Justification is needed for construction of irrigation channel in terms of how it will help farmers to adopt to drought or flood.
• Please avoid word distribution while mentioning about intervention.
• Multi cut fodder seed can be procured from KVK, Namackal, TANUVAS, Tamil Nadu. Dr B. Mohan, PC, KVK Namakkal may be contacted.
• “Makeshift unit for storing custom hiring centre (CHC) implements” can be written in place of implement shed.

KVK, Aurangabad

• The possibilities of deepening of the existing ponds may be explored.
• An estimate for construction of pucca channel in proposed area (50 ha of land) may be prepared and sent to NICRA Coordinator through Zonal Project Director, Zone-II for consideration.
• Millets may be included in crop intervention in the Action Plan.
• For seed treatments, seeds can be supplied as inputs where chemicals can not be supplied on cost sharing basis.
• Housing improvement for poultry can be taken up.
• Prepare write up on the process adopted for managing the pond and send it to coordinator, TDC and ZPD, Zone-II.
• More emphasis is needed for NRM activities.
• Compost pit making can be taken up.
• Field bunding can be changed to trench cum bunding. Bunding interventions may be reduced to 10 units from 20 units.
• INM in rice and wheat as stand alone intervention be dropped.
• Number of crops be reduced.
• Amount of expenditure on Pani Panchayat should be reduced.

KVK, East Singhbhum

• Under training on capacity building, training book keeping may be organised for VCRMC members.
• Ginger and turmeric crops not to be cultivated in sloppy lands to protect soil erosion.

KVK, Saran

• Data on different NRM interventions i.e., mulching, soil moisture conservation and water management should be generated.
• “Renovation of irrigation channel” should be replaced as “inlet channel to pond”.
• QPM maize can be cultivated.
• Improved bins may be promoted for storage of seeds.
• Purchase of UPS battery for custom hiring centre should be dropped.
• Number of interventions should be reduced to 5 or 7 under crop production.
• Slow release of nitrogen practices (eg. Neem coated urea) may be promoted.
• Separate programme on custom hiring is not needed in Action Plan.
• Awareness building programme should be dropped from the action plan.
• In Capacity building, field days, exposure visit to farmers need to be conducted and be specified in detail.
• In flooded area more emphasis should be given on drainage system, soil levelling etc.
• The budget should be mentioned against all the interventions and should be submitted to ZPD and National Coordinator, NICRA immediately.

CRRI centre, NICRA, Cuttack

• Suitable varieties developed by CRRI in different climatic conditions may be adopted by KVK where it is applicable.
• Leaf Colour Chart (LCC) was used for estimating nutrient deficiency and correction.

General Remarks/Suggestions

• All NRM activities to be referred to as “NRM interventions” since they do not involve construction of any permanent structure and hence they are funded under recurring contingencies. They should not be considered as “works”.
• Crops interventions may be restricted to five with preference to major food crops of the area. In case the area is prominent for horticultural crops, the number of interventions may go up to seven.
• Renovation of traditional water harvesting structures may be taken up on priority under NRM interventions.
• When the PC is either transferred of retiring from service, all data and documents related to the project must be handed over to the incumbent PC. The host organisation must ensure that NOC is not given to the outgoing PC unless he/she hands over of all project data and documents to the successor.
• Every KVK must constitute village climate risk management committee (VCRMC).
• While preparing revised action plan and annual report, justification of intervention in respect of climate resilience have to give in column form.
• VCRMC members must be facilitated by the KVK to decide the hiring rate of equipments procured from the project. The information about hiring charges of different equipments should to be sent to KVK, Cooch Behar by 10th June, 2012. These rates are to be displayed in public places of NICRA villages.
• Opening of bank account for VCRMC must be facilitated by all KVKs. VCRMC members amy be encouraged to contribute for opening of the bank account. Otherwise, the amount required for opening of account may be advanced from the NICRA contingency amount initially. This amount must be recovered after revenue is generated through custom hiring centre. The account must be operated by the President, Secretary, Treasurer of VCRMC member and one Joint Secretary from KVK representative (SMS) under NICRA should be nominated as signatory for cash transaction.
• Utilization Certificate of each KVK should reach ZPD office and Coordintator TDC-NICRA, Hyderabad, latest by 30.05.2012 positively.
• All KVKs to ensure safety of installed Automatic Weather Station (AWS) and submit the report to ZPD.
• Data on NRM interventions must include number of rainwater structures built/repaired/renovated, additional rainwater harvesting capacity (cum), impact on groundwater level, number of ha conserved by protective irrigation from the harvested rain water etc.,
• Convergence with other development schemes must be expressed in monetary terms.
• National Coordinator, NICRA, CRIDA, Hyderabad to inform ZPD about the features and components under installation of AWS at each KVK. CRIDA will supply weather data on demand.
• Bench mark survey, Revised Annual Report and Revised Action Plan to be sent to ZPD by 10th June, 2012 for approval.
• ZPD to inform CRIDA about the theft and destruction of village weather station at few KVKs.
• Age old traditional climate resilient agricultural practices adopted by farmers to be documented and sent to ZPD by 10th June, 2012.
• SRI technology need not to be included in the interventions in Bihar and Jharkhand as the stae government is already implementing a large programme on SRI. The impact of SRI in terms of water saving may be stated clearly where it is promoted.
• Procurement of tractor not to be included in project proposal.
• Provision of motor bike for local mobility will be included while preparing EFC foe XII Plan.
• Provision of exposure visits, field visits (not trainings) and field days for farmers and scientists within inter zone can be included in the action plan.
• For de-worming of animals, same drug should not be administered repeatedly.
• De-worming camps need to be held during pre and post monsoon seasons.
• Individual vermicompost interventions can be dropped. However, community level vermicomposting can be promoted.
• All KVKs to send the village map or location of samples and sample data for developing parasitological map to KVK, Nimpith. The village map can be prepared by using the GPS.
• For NICRA project implementation, a minimum of 250 farm families are needed in the village or in the particular selected hamlet.
• Mitigation of mineral deficiency in livestock should be included in all KVKs. For district specific mineral block, NIANP,Bangaluru may be contacted.
• No micro irrigation interventon should be fully financed by NICRA project. Micro irrigation systems should be promoted in convergence with line departments. Changes should be made in all the action plans to reflect this decision so that more farmers can be covered by using the allocated money.
• Each centres should calculate the additional rain water harvested and the subsequently the extent of area brought under protective cultivation both in kharif as well as rabi season after implementation of the NRM activities.
• More emphasis should be the increase in the cropping intensity by introducing short duration rabi crops.

The workshop was concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Dr. S.K. Roy, Sr. Scientist, ZPD, Zone-II, Kolkata.

Annexure

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN NICRA ZONAL WORKSHOP, ZONE-II, PORT BLAIR DURING 23RD TO 24TH MAY, 2012.