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A Case Study of THE ANDHRA PRADESH RURAL LIVELIHOODS PROJECT”
Scanty rainfall has become a recurrent feature leading to severe difficulties for those who are dependent on dryland agriculture. Crops grow or fail, depending upon the weather. For many farmers investments are high and crop failure can lead to a financial disaster. Some farmers are even driven to suicide. Dryland agriculture is truly a gamble.
39 year-old Chandra Reddy is a small farmer with three daughters. His livelihood depends on agriculture. The Project selected him to be trained as a paraworker. He was sent to Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Banaganapalle Village for a 45-day training programme, split into two phases. Scientists taught the trainees about many issues related to agriculture development such as the ill effects of using chemical fertilisers; the contamination and diseases they cause and how the land is gradually rendered infertile. They were also taught how to prepare and use vermicompost, and how it enhances soil fertility and productivity. This made a strong impact on Chandra Reddy and he decided to only use vermicompost for his crops.
As a first attempt, he started production of vermicompost in two beds. He got an interest-free loan of Rs.20, 000 from the Productivity Enhancement Fund. He constructed a shed, using concrete, and two troughs which were 14 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet high. He laid maize chaff on the bottom of the troughs. On this he put a layer of dried cattle dung and dried paddy straw, followed by a layer of cattle dung. He filled the pit with these layers right up to the top. Then he introduced 5 Kgs of earthworms along with filler material brought from Banaganapalle into each bed.
In the first four months 20 quintals of manure was produced. Later, using the culture developed in the initial beds, another 5 beds were prepared. In two years he has harvested vermicompost five times, producing 100 quintals of manure. He utilised 20 quintals of manure, and sold the remaining 80 quintals to neighbouring farmers at Rs.300 per quintal. He also sold earthworms worth Rs.22, 000 at Rs.50 per kg to these farmers. He generated Rs.46, 000 from this enterprise, and also met the need for manure for his own land.
He got an increased yield of up to 2 to 3 quintals per acre. The quality of the crops improved, particularly the chillies. The seed size of the Bengal gram and sunflower increased. Pest attacks were also prevented. Earlier, he used to apply about 4-5 quintals of chemical fertilisers per acre, at a cost of about Rs.2, 500. He now saves the entire amount.
Chandra Reddy repaid the loan of Rs.10, 000 he had taken from the Productivity Enhancement Fund and has celebrated his older daughter’s wedding with the income earned out of the sale of vermicompost.
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