Project: Ecological and Agricultural Workshops for Farmers

Motivation: It is unreasonable to expect farmers to adopt efficient methods of farming that also yields better and helps the ecology in the long run without a proper orientation to fill the awareness gap. Most problems related to crops and livestock are recurrent and specific to a particular region, the orientation programs conducted by the Government can only achieve limited success. Orientation trips and camps were incorporated as a part of this workshop to ‘complete the picture’ and supplement the activities of the government with demonstrations of exemplary techniques adopted by different groups across the country, and also to address problems specific to the villages around BCRT.

Specific Aims:

1. Describe and demonstrate the activities of BCRT, its objectives, and encourage coexistence of crops and other trees, organic farming, water and soil conservation and such other eco-friendly techniques.

2. Conduct workshops within BCRT that involve vaccination and other veterinary clinics, followed by guest lectures on specific livestock diseases/problems and their cures.

3. Take farmers to institutes and organizations that are experimenting with a wide variety of farming techniques, animals and crops with the intention of broadening farmers’ outlook.

A Brief Description of the project: This program is taken up roughly on an annual basis. The first such activity was a trip to BAIF (Bharat Agro-Industries Foundation) in Aug. 2001.  A batch of 30 farmers from Anuganalu was taken to BAIF located in Tiptur, about 50 Km from BCRT. A broad exposure to high yielding varieties, medicinal plants, farming horticultural plants, silkworm rearing and harvesting rain water was provided. A second batch from Sanenahalli, Maranahalli too was given this demonstration. The response to these trips was overwhelming as farmers confessed to a great broadening in their outlook. Between Dec. 2002 and Feb. 2003, BCRT funded one person’s training in the nursery at BAIF and the forest department. He later played a key role in the development and maintenance of BCRT nursery itself.

In Feb. 2004, BCRT organized a vaccination camp for farm animals with the intention of vaccinating them against foot-and-mouth disease and provide information about the seasonal diseases that the livestock may experience. This was done in collaboration with Krishi Vignana Kendra (KVK) and  Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Hospital, Hassan. Started in the morning, the first phase included vaccination, feeding mineral mixture, and de-worming of farm-animals. This was followed by a guest-lecture by veterinary doctors who covered a wide variety of issues starting from treating various diseases and maintaining health to care and maintenance of fodder-yielding trees. This was a first effort of its kind around Anuganalu and was welcomed by the agricultural community.

In June 2004, a discussion forum on biodiversity conservation was jointly organized by BCRT, KVK and Karnataka Biodiversity Board. In August, BCRT and KVK together organized an earthworm/compost preparation camp. Experts from KVK gave demonstrations on making compost from organic waste like cow dung, dried leaves and twigs, weeds etc.

In Sep. 2004, 69 farmers from Anuganalu and surrounding villages visited Rajasthan to learn about the rain-water harvesting and ground-water recharging techniques employed by Tarun Bharat Sangh which is headed by the Magsasay winner Dr. Rajendra Singh. The lessons learnt from this trip are scheduled to be implemented in 2005.

Figures: Farmers are given a tour of BCRT. This includes describing the usefulness of farm-ponds (above). BCRT and Krishi Vignana Kendra team is awarding meritorious farmers for their eco-friendly agriculture (right).

To know more about workshops, seminars and meetings, click here.

© 2001-2005 Biodiversity Conservation & Research Trust