Implementing Agency:
Department For International Development (DFIDI)

Managing Institute:
Krishak Bharati Co-operative Ltd (Kribhco)

Contractor:
Kribhco/TCO

Project Code: 149-077-001 149-500-070 149-990-006	Start Date: 01/10/1995	End Date: 30/09/2000
Commitment: £8,091,000	Status: Current	Type of Funding: Bilateral - TC Bilateral - Financial Aid

Project Background:
India's demand for food is expected to rise two-and-a-half fold in the next 30-40 years. Increased output from irrigated areas will not meet the need and rainfed farming will have to make a significant contribution. Rainfed areas produce little more now than they did 40 years ago and their farmers mostly remain poor, due in part to ineffective research and extension. Sustained output from rainfed areas requires a holistic approach in which soil and water are conserved and soil fertility maintained by the interaction of trees, shrubs, grasses and livestock with arable farming. Small scale irrigation from surface storage must be fully exploited.

The project will expand pilot work under the Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation rainfed farming project (HFC/RFP) which devised a participatory, no-subsidy approach to technology generation and communal action in 110 villages. This showed how poor farmers will try innovations without the lure of subsidies; conduct their own "trials"; benefit from low-cost technologies; and work in groups to manage communal forest and grazing, conserve soil and control livestock; produce fish, goats, vegetables, cashew, trees and rabi crops; and run saving schemes.

Project Objectives:
Livelihoods of poor men and women on Eastern Plateau improved through agricultural technology and RNR development.

Replicable project methodology established and achieving sustainable improvements in livelihoods of people in project villages and beyond.

Intended Outputs:
Improved approach to participatory planning and development evolved and implemented.

New and/or appropriate technologies adopted by farmers.

RNR productive capacity enhanced.

Improved extension methodologies developed and tested.

Effective and sustainable ways for GOs, NGOs and farmers to adopt project approaches and extend technologies identified and action plans prepared.

Village capacity to create institutions established.

Effective project management system operated.