Implementing Agency:
Department For International Development (DFIDI)

Managing Institute:
Department For International Development (BDCOD)

Contractor:
Overseas Development Group, University of East Anglia

Project Code: 149-500-050 149-051-001	Start Date: 26-Oct-87	End Date: 30/06/1996
Commitment: £3,804,000	Status: Completed	Type of Funding: Bilateral - TC Bilateral - Financial Aid

Project Background:
The GOI Seventh Plan (1985-90) envisaged that a "substantial part" of the additional agricultural production targetted would come from small and marginal farmers and from rainfed/dryland areas. |In particular, special efforts were to be made to effect a breakthrough in rice output in the Eastern region; to increase the productivity and reduce the instability of production in dryland areas by laying special emphasis on the development of watersheds and adoption of improved practices; to intensify research ad management programmes relating to production of oilseeds and pulses; and to raise the productivity of small and marginal farmers.

The World Bank has recently conducted a review of the rainfed sector in India. The main thrust of the review's conclusions is in line with the project proposed here. The review recommends:

* a primary focus on farmers' own efforts to improve productivity on their own fields.

* strong and sustained support from research and extension services, with an emphasis on location specific technology packages responding effectively to farmers' constraints.

It also envisages the need for reorienting the training and visit system of agricultural extension to meet them more complex and difficult problems in rainfed areas, as compared to irrigated areas.

Project Objectives:
To develop a replicable and low-cost farmer participatory approach for agricultural development in rainfed farming areas of India.

To encourage the development and adoption of improved low cost rainfed farming technologies for different agro-ecological situations in the Easter Plateau.

To achieve sustainable output increases in the farms of at least some of the participating families.

To identify priorities for additional natural resource development and income generation.

The project seeks to contribute to improved livelihoods of poor families in rainfed farming areas.

Increased and stabilised food-crops production in rainfed farming areas.

Encourage the adoption of similar approaches in other similar areas in India.

Intended Outputs:
Agro-ecological and social profiles of 45 villages.

Representative Facilitating Groups selected, trained and operational in 45 villages.

15 cluster agronomists, 15 village monitors and 6 district agronomists trained and operational in field.

Three state-level Technical Advisory Groups established and operational.

Annual Project Workshop.

Annual village work plans developed and implemented by farm families in 45 villages.

Monitoring and evaluation system operational.

Appropriate village-level training materials developed and in use.

8 HFC specialists trained in UK.

Research reports from the three collaborating universities and HFC scientists.

Report to GOI concerning technical, institutional, socio-economic, training and extension aspects.

National workshop on project involving HFC, Government, NGOs and academic participants (inc. film).