NIRMAN is a grassroots environmental action group works for the conservation of bio-diversity; promotes ecological agriculture & sustainable livelihood models through livelihood related Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative Prasant Mohanty, NIRMAN www.nirmanodisha.org SDTT Partner’s meet Raipur , 22 March, 2014
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NIRMAN is a grassroots environmental action group works for the conservation of bio-diversity; promotes ecological agriculture & sustainable livelihood models through livelihood related functional literacy system approach…
Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative
Prasant Mohanty,NIRMANwww.nirmanodisha.org
SDTT Partner’s meet Raipur , 22 March, 2014
Sugarcane in Odisha…
Problems of Sugarcane Farmers• Rising cost of cultivation- Economic unviable• Low market price • Water table depleting year after year (1500-3000
litres/1 kg of cane)• Unavailability of good quality seed material• Increased pest and negligence in plant protection
measures • Improper cultivation practices• Imbalanced nutrient management and other
practices like mono cropping often result in low productivity
• Unpredictable climatic aberrations• Delay of Payment by mill owners to farmers (nearly
One year)
Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative(SSI): Approach and activities
• To improve the livelihoods of smallholder sugarcane farmers by enhancing productivity of land and minimizing usage of water and reducing footprint of sugarcane cultivation.”
Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative(SSI):‘More (sugarcane) With Less (inputs and water)’
A new paradigm in Sugarcane: SRI showed a way- WWF-ICRISAT
It is an innovative agronomic set of practices to increase the cane yields significantly which involves using
• less seeds• raising of nursery • following new planting methods• with wider spacing • better water management• nutrient management
Basic Principles of SSI1. Raising nursery using single
budded chips2. Transplanting young seedlings (25-
35 days old) 3. Maintaining wider spacing (4X2 ft)
in the main field4. Avoiding in undation of water and
providing sufficient moisture 5. Encouraging organic method of
nutrient and plant protection measures
6. Practicing intercropping with effective utilization of land
2-3 Budded sets & Bud chip
• 2-3 budded sets are normally used for propagation
• In SSI, single budded chips from 7-9 months old healthy canes used
Young seedling from Nursery
• Buds are planted in trays
• Coco-pith (coconut coir waste) used for raising the settlings
• Transplanting of young (25-35 days old) seedlings
Water managementWater management
• Emphasis on sufficient moisture, rather than Emphasis on sufficient moisture, rather than inundating the field with water. inundating the field with water.
• About 40% of water is saved in this method About 40% of water is saved in this method by following measures like raising of nursery, by following measures like raising of nursery, following furrow / alternate furrow following furrow / alternate furrow irrigation, optimum application of water by irrigation, optimum application of water by reducing quantity of waterreducing quantity of water
Organic Methods of Cultivation
• In SSI, inorganic practices like In SSI, inorganic practices like application of chemical application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are fertilizers and pesticides are discouraged. discouraged.
• Farmers are encouraged to Farmers are encouraged to practice practice organic method of method of cultivation like incorporation cultivation like incorporation of organic manures, of organic manures, application of bio-fertilizers application of bio-fertilizers and use of bio-control and use of bio-control measures .measures .
• Encourages better and timely Encourages better and timely
cultural practices like earthing cultural practices like earthing up, propping andup, propping and detrashing,. detrashing,.
Water 24 hrs/day for 4 days: 8 times in a crop cycle
8 hrs/day for 3 days: 4 times in a crop cycle
Labour (including irrigation)
204 person-days in a crop cycle
136 person-days in a crop cycle
Per Acre Cost Rs 59,200/- Rs 33,200/-
Intercropping Not possible Possible(3 month duration crop)
Yield -Ton/Acre 38-40 50-52
Net Income –Rs./ Acre
19500 53400
Intercrops in SSI Field• Vegetables for household consumption and some hard cash
• The group of 13 members has taken Sugarcane cultivation (IGP) in traditional method investing around Rs 86,350/- for 3.5 acres inclusive of costs like land lease (Rs 42,000) cost, seed, irrigation, fertiliser, labour (excluding self labour of 789 person-days)
At the same time 9 out of 13 members has taken the initiative for SSI in 78 decimil and invested Rs 14,420/- inclusive similar costs like (Rs 9000/- for land lease), labour (excluding self labour of 63 person-days)
Estimating for 25 decimal cost investment they spent 3 times more on traditional approach along with 3 times more time investment.
•The average production they harvested from traditional fields is 32 ton/acre. While from SSI fields it was more than 46 ton/acre.
•The bonus they gained from SSI through intercropping has been estimated to Rs 16400/- which includes okra, cowpea, cucumber and jute
and a success story…
13 April 2010
SSI MANUAL RELEASE in Oriya
Initiatives taken to popularize SSIExperience sharing of Famers at SSI Workshop in Bhubaneswar SSI Training in Nayagarh Dist
Inspiration for other farmers
Type of Land, Cane Variety & Relative Productivity
Cane Variety
CO-6907
86-V-96
83-R-23
1053
Raghunath
Nilamadhab
Biswanath
Charchika
Cane Productivity Vs Type of Land
Land Type Medium Upland
Cane Yield (T/Ac)
60 54
The Strategic Interventions…• Engagement with state, dist. Officials and policy makers• Govt. included 2000 acre in Phailin response• Govt included SSI in RKVY• Farmer’s guidebook on SSI is being used as resource book for farmers• Creating local CRP
Video documentation
Providing support to Dept. of Agriculture, Nayagarh for 20010-11 & 2011-12 and under RKVY-Sugarcane Devp. Prog. and the same to Bargarh in 2012.
Nursery raising
Irrigation to SSI field
Farmer’s Innovative way in earthling up
Rs. 32000 expenses in traditional sugarcane whereas Rs. 2000 in SSI farming per acre
Issues & Concern • Factory owners are not paying in time which
discourages farmers • Govt. is yet to take it up in massive scale• Govt. officials are more concerned on procurement
of materials like tray, fertiliser rather on SSI• Govt. focus on chemical fertilizer and pesticides
irrespective of requirement• Disconnection among Capacity building and SSI
promotion• No assured support from resource agency for SSI
from 2013
Learning: • Simple change to SSI Practice can save huge
loss of cane in planting as seeds, conserve water and bring economic gain to farmers
• 38000 ha. of sugarcane cultivation in Odisha: Farmers can gain only from seed saving around 95 cores of rupees
• Marginal, small & Sharecroppers farmers can go for sugarcane cultivation
• Shift in Young farmer’s migration to SSI• CRP process of SSI extension works well