harvests of change

World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 5

Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project

Harvests of Change


Uttar Pradesh

Districts covered under UPDASP

MAP NOT TO SCALE


1 DASP began before the new state of Uttaranchal was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in November 2000; this report focuses on UP.

2 Cropping intensity refers to the ratio of gross cropped area to net sown area.

3 All impact indicators are taken from an independent evaluation conducted by the Agriculture Management Centre of the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, and use 1998-99 as baseline.

Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project

Four indicators dramatically tell the story of change in 6,178 DASP villages over the project’s six-year life:

● Cropping intensity climbed from 169% in 1998-99 to 203% in 2002-03 2

● Crop productivity increased by 10% ● Cultivation of non-grain crops rose from 26%

of gross cropped area to 31% ● Number of farmers using organic manure

went from 13% to 44%3.

Harvests of Change

Right: Bountiful harvests have shown farmers the benefits of new farming techniques developed under DASP

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It’s being called the second Green Revolution. All across Uttar Pradesh (UP), the most populous and third poorest Indian state, small pockets of prosperity are evolving, where farmers are adopting new techniques and earning rich dividends.

These are the 157 blocks included in the recently completed Diversified Agricultural Support Project (DASP), a US$145 million World Bank- supported program to increase agricultural productivity in Uttar Pradesh.1


technological extension and other agricultural

services were handled by government bodies

(departments of agriculture, animal husbandry,

horticulture etc.) that focused more on annual

targets and budgets than farmers’ needs.

According to Rita Sharma, Principal Secretary

of Finance in the UP government and one of

DASP’s earliest associates, “We needed to

increase agricultural productivity and

employment generation, as well as upgrade our

delivery mechanisms to make them more

participative.”

Why was DASP Needed?

In the last half of the 1990s, UP was a state

plagued by widespread poverty and a high

dependence on agriculture. More than two-thirds

of its people lived in villages and depended on

agriculture for their livelihood. But the

agricultural sector was burdened by population

pressure (even today one-sixth of India’s 1.03

billion live in UP) and declining soil fertility.

The Green Revolution that had fired the growth of

neighboring north-Indian states like Punjab and

Haryana had only reached the western part of UP.

Families in the rest of the state were increasingly

falling beneath the poverty line. While the poverty

index for the rest of India was 35%, it was nearly

40% for UP.

Agriculture was hostage to unsustainable

practices like intensive crop production and over-

dependence on high-volume, low-value cereal

crops. Further, most delivery mechanisms for

Above: Women were targeted especially in the awareness- generation programs

Left: Most technology interventions made under DASP were simple and indigenous, like fixing stakes in tomato fields for getting optimal yields.

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Major Project Interventions

Agriculture

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Plant Nutrient Management

Introduction of Bio Dynamic

Technology (organic farming)

Truthful Seed Production

Horticulture

Area expansion (a shift from

traditional agriculture)

Post Harvest Management

Animal Husbandry

Para-veterinary Services

Development Program

Conservation and Development of

Indigenous Milch Cattle Breeds.

Dairy Development

Public Health Awareness

Clean Milk Production Program

Promotion of Participatory Approach

Community Participation through

Farmer Self-Help-Groups

Creation of Rural Infrastructure

Construction of Rural Roads

Upgradation of Rural Markets

Technology Development

Thus, DASP was designed to support the UP

government’s attempts to accelerate diversified

agricultural growth. It focused on:

● Improving the quality and relevance

of agricultural technology

● Disseminating demand-driven technology

● Encouraging private sector participation,

particularly in the farming community

● Expanding rural infrastructure, especially

farm-to-market link roads and village

marketplaces (haats)

“DASP basically remodeled practices that were

put in place when food production was the only

goal and the public sector was the only player in

service delivery,” says Deepak Ahluwalia, World

Bank task leader for DASP.

DASP had a profound effect because it used a

broad and integrated farming approach that

involved agriculture, horticulture, dairy and

animal husbandry. Moreover, it aimed to affect

the entire farm cycle, from the availability of

materials and technologies to agronomical

practices, productivity, post-harvest activities,

agro-processing, credit, and basic rural

infrastructure. In all areas, interventions were

demand-driven and need-based. To achieve these

ends, the project connected with the UP line

departments and coordinated efforts with local

NGOs and farm communities.

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Diversification and Intensification

The strategy – devised under district-level

Strategic Research and Extension Plans (SREPs)

– was to raise agriculture productivity by helping

farmers diversify their crops and increase their

awareness of new technologies. To encourage a

shift from the traditional paddy-wheat cycle, more

remunerative horticultural crops were identified

for each area based on the local agro-eco profile,

as well as market demand. Interested farmers

were then given cultivation demonstrations as

well as help in how to acquire supplies.

Thus, according to an independent evaluation

done by the Indian Institute of Management

(IIM), Lucknow, cereals in the DASP plots

dropped from 67.2% of the total cropping area in

1988-89 to 55.3% in 2002-2003, while the land used

for horticulture rose from 13.5% in 1988-89 to

16.4% in 2002-2003. The net expansion of land

under horticulture was 110,000 ha.

Farmers were encouraged to move away from staple cereal crops to flowers, (below left) vegetables and fruits (below)

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Impact on Agriculture

Indicators Baseline Final impact Percentage change (1998-99) (2002-2003) over base

Impact on Horticulture

Indicators Baseline Final impact Percentage change (1998-99) (2002-2003) over base

DASP NON DASP NON DASP DASP

Cropping Intensity (%) 169 203 196 20.1 16.0

Distribution of Area (% of GCA)

Cereals 67.2 55.3 60.1 -17.7 -10.6

Pulses 7.1 13.7 10.4 93.0 46.5

Oilseeds 3.9 3.9 3.6 0.0 -7.7

Total non-food 26 31 29.6 19.2 13.8 grains area

DASP NON DASP NON DASP DASP

Distribution of Area (% of GCA)

Total area of 13.5 16.4 11.8 21.5 -14.1 horticulture


The area of western UP, known as the sugarbowl

of the North due to the widespread production

of sugarcane (a water-intensive crop with a long

growing cycle), best illustrates how DASP

promoted diversification: Thousands of hectares,

where only cane was grown, are now producing

assorted vegetables, fruits and flowers (onions

and okra, gladioli and the whole gourd family,

tomatoes and strawberries and even orchards

of the exotic locquat). And, as the lines of cane-

laden bullock-carts outside sugar factories have

shortened, those of trucks heading for the

subzi mandis (wholesale vegetable markets)

have grown.

Similarly, in Baghpat district, 65% of the 107,000

hectares irrigated cropland was once devoted

solely to cane. “Through DASP, we’ve managed to

wean 10,000 hectares away from cane and another

14,500 are inter-cropped with onions, cucurbits

and marigolds,” says district project coordinator,

C P Singh.

Where diversification was not called for, yields

were increased through intensive farming

techniques: Farmers were trained to use balanced

fertilizers based on scientific soil testing and

substitute bio-pesticides in place of chemicals.4

Also, they were encouraged to take up high-yielding

seed varieties and organic manure (like cow pat

pits and vermiculture).

The program was incredibly successful. In the DASP

area, not only did production costs drop, but crop

yields rose: Based on the IIM study, productivity of

the two staples, wheat and paddy, increased by 10%

and 27%, respectively.

A similar model was followed to improve

productivity in animal husbandry: It focused on

improving breeds through artificial insemination

and regular vaccinations, and ensuring quality feed

and hygienic milk production to reduce milk spoilage.

Right: Maize is traditionally grown only twice a year, but DASP interventions ensured an extra maize crop in the kharif season.

Right: Farmers were introduced to hybrid varieties and better sowing techniques which resulted in higher yields

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4 These practices were based on the principles of Integrated Plant Nutrition Management and Integrated Pest Management respectively.


Taking Technology from Lab to Land

A DASP principle was to shift basic research to

that which was applied and relevant to farmers.

It forged a vital link between the lab and land

by testing new concepts/techniques on the

farms and obtaining feedback from farmers’

groups. As a result, 181 homegrown

technologies emerged, of which 42 were sent to

the line departments for further dissemination.

New methods were developed to restore mango

trees and promote machan cultivation for

cucurbits. IPM modules for 32 crops were also

developed, including pheromone traps and

trichograma cards. The genetic base of many

fruits and vegetables was broadened, but the

impact on productivity will depend on the link

with commercial seed growers.

DASP also helped create a competitive

agricultural research program (CARP) to

improve the quality/relevance of research:

It financed 44 programs that addressed

production and processing constraints that

were hampering UP agriculture.

Pheromone traps were among the basic pest-control devices promoted by DASP in its bid to reduce the use of chemical pesticides.

Seedlings were traditionally raised in open fields or beds which meant that many tiny plants were lost to the vagaries of weather, or to attacks by pests, fungi and birds. DASP popularized the use of low, poly-tunnel nurseries, where seedlings could be raised in controlled conditions. These seedlings are ready for transplantation quicker, allowing farmers to reap their crops early and thus earn better prices.

A wheat field sown using the zero-tillage method advocated by DASP. Unlike the traditional sowing method that required repeated ploughing of the field, the zero tillage machine is run just once to make the small furrows in which seeds are then dropped.

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A field of pea planted on raised beds to ensure there is no water-logging.

The zero-energy cooling chamber is an indigenous device developed under DASP to keep harvested fruits and vegetables fresh. It is a simple brick-and-sand structure cooled by piped water and can be constructed by the farmer himself.

The use and production of vermicompost was an especially successful component of DASP. Here, Darshana Sharma of Mitli village in Baghpat district is seen with her vermicompost machine which has more than trebled her household income.

DASP workers also propagated this simple technique of rejuvenating ageing mango trees by thinning them out and then treating the cut limbs with a mixture of copper, lime and water.

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Farmer-Led Extension

The UP extension system, as elsewhere in India,

was run by government departments that did not

focus on clients’ needs. Thus, DASP aimed to

create a demand-driven system that involved the

community. By treating farmers not only as

intended beneficiaries but also as crucial

instruments, DASP formed about 18,000 self-help

groups, with a membership of over 200,000

farmers.

Farmers with common interests (say, dairy,

horticulture, seed production or a particular crop)

were encouraged to form groups. While the groups

began as savings-and-loans societies (each

contributed savings on a regular basis), they

became important avenues for disseminating

information on new technologies. In Western UP,

several crop-specific groups were formed: In Mavi

Kalan village, the subject of onions brought nearly

100 farmers together; in Pali, it was radishes, in

Daula, fenugreek and in Johri, cauliflower. In all

groups, farmers shared information on their

problems and priorities.

Responding to the farmers’ needs, the line

departments and NGOs secured the technology

and inputs, and demonstrated how to apply them.

Also, the DASP team helped to (a) procure new

high-yielding seeds, (b) create nurseries for early

sowing and (c) develop marketing practices that

would bring higher returns. In turn, these farmers

trained others. In all, 17,906 groups were formed,

of which 6,247 were women’s groups.

● Total savings for the groups: Rs 184.6 million

● 80% of the groups engaged in income-

generating activities

● 8,504 groups accessed credit from

commercial banks

The farmer groups forged under DASP were provided links with banks as well as livelihood training to enable them to set up little micro- enterprises like mushroom farms (above left), bakeries (above right) and small pickling units (left).

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In Ramrajya Krishi Vidyalaya in Baghpat’s Daula

village, the master-trainer, Sripal Singh, explains

how the school serves 72 farmers by testing their

soil and teaching them how to build eco-friendly,

zero-energy cooling chambers, and using the IPM

techniques best suited to their crops. Also, the

schools help the line departments organize field

demonstrations and test technology on-farms.

Aware that schools offer opportunities to contact

farmers, two leading corporations, ITC and ICICI

Bank, have started using them as e-chaupals, the

electronic incarnation of the traditional chaupal

or village gathering place. These IT-connected

kiosks offer farmers various services, such as

credit, supplies and markets. However, the

schools are new, and their interaction with public

institutions that disseminate technology and

provide agriculture extension needs to be

institutionalized; only then will the pilot system

achieve its full potential.

Left: Women self-help groups were among the most active and the most productive saving societies.

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Farmer Field Schools

Technology was also disseminated through 175

farmer field schools that were self-managed and

funded (with DASP support limited to training);

the schools served as one-stop resource centers

for the skills, technologies and inputs developed

under the project.


Participatory Approach through ATMAs

At the heart of DASP lies the principle of

community participation in planning, managing

and monitoring development. Thus, field-level

project intervention strategies evolved from

village action plans that were based on farmers’

priorities and suggestions. These were moved to

the district-level Agriculture Technology

Management Agency (ATMA), which coordinated

the plans from across the district, to create an

annual extension strategy.

The ATMA, conceived as a registered body of

district stakeholders involved in agriculture, has

been a meaningful experiment in decentralizing

extension services. It is composed of farmer and

NGO representatives, line department officials,

with the district magistrate at its head. All project

funds (for the plans) were routed from the Project

Coordination Unit to the ATMAs, which channeled

them, as needed. Such financial autonomy made

for operational efficiency, which in turn made

decentralized, demand-driven planning a reality.

However, the ATMAs are still a nascent concept.

Left: The extension services provided by government departments, like the demonstration of paan cultivation here, was formulated after consulting the farmers and taking note of their priorities and needs.

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To evolve into robust institutions, they must be

financially strong; this can be achieved if central

and state funds/grants for extension are routed

through them. Also, if they are to be sustained

and have an impact, they must be increasingly

farmer-driven rather than government-driven.

Cost Recovery

The conventional wisdom about cost recovery for

government-supplied agricultural inputs is that

farmers are not able to pay the full amount for

them. However, this concern contributed not only

to the financial distress of public sector line

departments, but also to their lack of client-focus.

The DASP regimen, where farmers pay for all

inputs – whether seeds, planting materials, semen

for artificial insemination, or vaccines–disproved

the concept. Indeed, farmers were willing to pay

more for services, as long as they were delivered

efficiently. Says Vinod Tyagi of Pilana village, in

Baghpat district, “Before, I paid Rs 5 for soil tests,

while today I pay Rs 30 in a private soil testing

lab. But I am happy paying the added amount

because I now get results in 10 minutes instead

of two hours. Also, I get advice on how to enrich

my soil.”

DASP showed the way to ending the system of subsidized agricultural services by insisting that all goods and services provided under the Project – be it veterinary services (above) or seeds and fertilizers (right) were given at prices that covered costs for the providers.

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Privatization of Agricultural Services

Linked to the cost recovery scheme was a move to

gradually reduce the public sector organizations’

role in supplying inputs. To open up the sector,

DASP created a network of private individuals/

groups that could deliver services. It helped

(a) train 1,251 para-veterinarians, (b) create

1,050 private nurseries and (c) advise farmers on

how to produce 20,000 tons of truthful seed.

The para-vet program was especially successful:

These professionals performed about 7,22,000

artificial inseminations, administered 8.2 million

prophylactic vaccinations and gave primary health

care to 5,90,000 animals.

Above: Para-veterinary workers at Hisawda village in Western UP. One of DASP’s most successful interventions was the setting up and training of a cadre of para-vets, who took over some of the more basic services of the animal husbandry department, including administering vaccinations and performing artificial inseminations.

Below: The progeny of the Bhadawari breed. The conservation of indigenous breeds of cattle was one of the main planks of DASP’s animal husbandry component.

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Below: A farmer with his herd of goats


Environmentally Sustainable Farming

The balanced use of fertilizers (based on adequate soil testing), and increased use of organic manures have not only reduced production costs and improved productivity in DASP areas, but also enhanced soil health and the quality of agri-produce. IPM techniques and awareness campaigns about banned pesticides have also significantly reduced chemical residues in crops. According to the UP Department of Agriculture, pesticide applications were cut by a fourth in DASP areas, while the use of bio-pesticides rose by 195kg per block.

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50

40

30

20

10

0

44

35

27

51 49

28

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5 3 2

5 7 8

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Non-Project Areas Project Areas

Organic

manure

Bio-

control

Bio-

fertilizer

Soil

test

Seed

treatment

Seed

protection

Awareness

of banned

pesticides

Adoption of Improved Practices (Agriculture) (2002-2003)


Rural Infrastructure

The Project supported the building of rural

infrastructure that could help marketing

activities. Thus, about 2,600 kms of farm-to-market

roads were built, particularly in areas where

perishable crops were grown. Also, 103 haats and

two cattle markets were constructed and turned

over to local village bodies (gram panchayats).

Transactions in the haats rose from an average

Rs 61,000 to Rs 85,000 a day.

Says project coordinator S. P. Singh, “I am

confident the DASP method will not disappear

because people have seen the difference it has

made to their lives and will definitely continue it.”

Another factor that will promote sustainability

is that DASP did not create a separate working

structure for the project. Instead, it closely

involved seven of the UP line departments and

built their capacity to work with the new model.

As a result, not only did the government

experience more ownership of the project but

several DASP components–like the dairy hygiene

program, training of para-vets and supply of farm

inputs on a cost recovery basis–were incorporated

into the UP government state-wide programs.

“DASP was an ideal externally-aided project as it

did not create substitutes for existing structures.

Rather, it showed how things could be done more

efficiently and economically, with more

participation from the people, and in an

environmentally sustainable manner,” says

Ms Sharma.

DASP sought to buttress rural infrastructure by building farm-to- market roads (left) and upgrading rural marketplaces or haats (above).

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In fact, many DASP components have been

replicated on a national level:

● The Government’s 2002 agricultural policy

incorporated several DASP concepts, such as

working through farmer cooperatives, the

widespread use of IPNM and IPM, and the use

of para-professionals to deliver farm inputs.

● A National Extension Reform Program being

discussed proposes replicating the ATMA

experiment in over 200 districts of the country.

● The Government’s Tenth Plan earmarked

Rs 300 million for a Clean Milk Program based

on DASP’s dairy interventions.

● NDDB, the major dairy cooperative, translated

the DASP dairy manuals into 12 languages for

nation-wide distribution.

● UP’s Panchayati Raj department will

mainstream the upgrading of rural haats along

the DASP model through a statewide program.

Although the project has officially closed, the

DASP team is anticipating the second phase and

incorporating changes to reinforce the impact.

For example, market links will need to be

strengthened. Although establishing them was

not a formal component of phase one, the last

two years saw nearly 100 MOUs (memoranda of

understanding) signed with several leading

private sector agri-business firms. Phase two,

now being developed, aims to add value to the

farmers’ market skills through training in post-

harvest activities, filling market-information gaps,

and creating structures for risk-management.

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Below: World Bank Country Director for India, Michael Carter, meeting Project beneficiaries in Barabanki district.

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The last word belongs to Ishwar Chand Tyagi, a

farmer who attends the farmers’ field school in

Daula. His prize-winning brinjals have brought

him fame in his district and he belongs to a

farmer group that now sells organic vegetables in

the mandi at Barhaut. “Thanks to DASP, we now

sow what we didn’t, and touch heights we didn’t,”

he says proudly.


In Kaderapur village of Jaunpur district,

tomatoes were traditionally treated with

chemical fertilizers like DAP and Urea.

Under DASP, farmers were instructed in

organic farming techniques and villagers

now use natural manure from cow pat

pits and vermiculture, reducing input

costs significantly, earning farmers

increased profits of Rs 27,500 per acre

of tomatoes.

Bhainswal village of Muzaffarnagar

district is in the sugarcane belt of western

UP. But the high cost of fertilizers and

pesticides alerted farmer Vinay Kumar

to the wisdom of switching crops. DASP

workers helped him source some high

quality green pea seed for 4 ha of his

land. When the crop was harvested, he

sold part as mature green peas for

Rs 60,000 profit, but sold the bulk as

truthful seed for Rs 2.10 lakh.

Uma Dutt Sharma of Hisawda village is

one of 68 para-vets serving the Baghpat

district. He provides local farmers a

range of basic veterinary services at their

farms and earns over Rs 7,000 a month.

Snapshots of success

In the 27 districts where the DASP was

applied, the new agriculture model

profoundly affected lives and livelihoods.

For example:

In Saharanpur, in UP’s northwest,

Mangat Ram of Dinarpur village

switched from wheat on his 0.1 ha field

to strawberries. Today, his net income

is Rs 40,000, a sum that dwarfs his

previous income of Rs 5,800.

In the Himalayan terai (foothills),

in the historically backward districts

of Bahraich and Sravasti, countless

kilometers were transformed into banana

plantations (the plants were grown

from tissue culture technology provided

under DASP). Now, farmers earn nearly

Rs 100,000 from a single acre, a

significant improvement over their

earlier earnings.

In Mitli village of Baghpat district,

Darshana Sharma was given 2 kg of free

worms under a DASP vermi-compost pilot

program that she used to start a business.

Three years later, her annual income has

grown over three times to Rs 7 lakh.


India Office:

70 Lodi Estate

New Delhi 110003

Phone: (91-11) 2461 7241

Fax: (91-11) 2461 9393

Also visit the World Bank in India websites:

English: http://www.worldbank.org.in

Hindi: http://www.vishwabank.org

Telugu: http://www.prapanchabank.org

Kannada: http://www.vishwabanku.org

harvests of change

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