“Project Anantha” A TECHNO DEVELOPMENTAL ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT A bird’s eyeview

1. “Project Anantha” A TECHNO DEVELOPMENTAL ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT • A bird’s eyeview • To answer agricultural distress • To arrest desertification A Presentation by AMR-APARD, Hyderabad

2. Country has various regions – well and poorly endowed Some of them are rain shadow, Perennially drought prone, Poor in natural resources, Poor levels of ground water, Low in green cover, Mostly rain dependant agriculture, Mono cropping traditions, Distress sale of agriculture produce, Devoid of local strategies to improve productivity, Low or no credit worthiness among farmers, etc. Anantapur is one among such districts. GOI identified it as one of the 31 districts prone for agriculture related suicides.

3. In Order to address the age long crisis of debilitating agricultural conditions in the district, Dr.Ayyappan,Secretary, DARE and DG, ICAR, New Delhi has constituted a committee in Dec., 2011 under the Chairpersonship of Dr.A.K. Singh, DDG, NRMI, ICAR

4. The Committee visited the district during 18 – 20 Jan., 2012 Studied, interacted with stake holders And made several recommendations. As a follow up, The Collector, Anantapur had constituted a DLC And got an Action Plan Many departments / agencies had generated the plan

5. Role players : ANGRAU Animal Husbandry / APDDC Horticulture APMIP Sericulture Ground water DRDA DWMA Social Forestry Minor Irrigation TBPHLC HNSS Agriculture Marketing Banking Sector

6. Project Anantha • Anantapur district has centuries of drought history • Resulting in Agricultural crisis • “During the period from 1870 to 1903, it recorded an annual average rainfall of 23 inches, one of the lowest in the presidency” – Gazetteer of Inida. • Its vulnerability is also certified by Govt. of India by including Anantapur as one of the 31 districts prone to agriculture related suicides. • Many committees suggested relief to drought situations, but they were temporary succors of annual phenomenon.

7. But a High Level Committee constituted by Dr.Ayyappan, Director General, ICAR, under the leadership of Dr. A.K.Singh, DDG, NRMI, had visited Anantapur district twice and brought out an incredible report that suggested effective measures and sustainable solutions in order to mitigate the agricultural distress conditions on a long term basis. • It is a now or never opportunity to set Anantapur on the path of regeneration and to reduce the impact of droughts.

8. Project Anantha is the first and the only one of its kind experiment to “blend technology with development” inorder to make agriculture sustainable in a low rain fall district like Anantapur. • Its also a “techno – development project” that involves certain subtle researchable issues to develop working linkages for meaningful implementation of the programs of agri-horti and livestock farmers.

9. ICAR’s High Level Committee examined various issues like natural resource base, crops, cropping patterns, allied activities, livelihood opportunities, etc. and made sub-regional / mandal specific recommendations. • “Project Anantha” is also a systems approach towards permanent institutional mechanisms for convergence among line departments – not a replacement of ongoing mainstream activities.

10. Its also the logical extension of the recommendations of the High Level Committee. • It contemplates an outlay of Rs. 6563.29 crores of which Rs.2993.50 crores comes from various ongoing programs, subsidy, beneficiary contribution, etc. • Rs. 836.03 crores would be availed as intuitional finance from Banks and NABARD

11. The support “Project Anantha” seeks as a special grant is only Rs.2753.04 crores over a period of 5 years towards filling gaps in very crucial components.

12. It’s a 5 year plan during 2012-13 to 2016-17 Amounts required to execute the recommended tasks are :

13. Amounts tapped through convergence Rs. 2974.22 Amount through bank loans Rs. 836.03 Net grant required through a Rs. 2753.04 crs. a special stream ------------------------ Rs. 6563.29 crs. ------------------------

14. Expected Outcomes in a nutshell : • Project Anantha would achieve : • Agriculture : • Seed self sufficiently among 7.00 lakh farmers • Promote castor, cluster bean, minor millets and add value to them • Replace existing varieties of redgram, Bengal gram, etc. • IPM practices • Value addition to groundnut through SHGs • Promote 3 Guar gum industries • Intensive trainings • Strengthen ARS, Kadiri • Groundnut Research Directorate to the Southern Region • Promote annual fodder crops, etc.

15. Animal Husbandry : • Enhance Dairy / Sheep livelihoods for 63,000 families • Increased milk procurement to 5.74 lakhlitres / day • Fodder production and conservation practices • Horticulture : • Arid horticulture for 7000 farmers in 5000 Ha/annum • Save 3,000 Ha of existing horticulture crops • Increase pomegranate yield

16. Sericulture : • High yielding varieties of mulberry in 4000Ha • Enhanced productivity • Drip irrigation in 5000Ha • Transfer of Tech to 37,500 farmers • Better marketing infra • Region & Season specific races • GW Department : • GW resource estimation • Judicious / efficient use of ground water • Improved Micro irrigation practices

17. Social Forestry : • Treat 4764 Ha of forest / non forest and develop fuel wood, fodder, small timber and other NTFP • Benefit 3.12 lakh farmers • Desilt percolation tanks, construct 10000 Rmts of cattle proof walls and trenches • Minor Irrigation: • Stabilise existing ayacut of 35,872 Ha • Create 302 new Water Bodies • Renovate 744 existing Water Bodies • Benefit 48,376 farmers

18. Major Irrigation: • Improve efficiency of existing canal systems • Stabiliseayacut of 3,20,533 acres under Tungabhadra project • Improve Socio-economic standards of 69,000 farmers through making Krishna Waters walk through the District under AVRHNSS • Develop an ayacut of 3,45,800 acres • Provide Drinking Water to a population of 10 lakhs

19. Agriculture Marketing: • Strengthen Market yards • Better marketing opportunities • Better margins to farmers’ produce by eliminating middle man • Promote Cold Storages • Credit & Banking: • Delink crop loans from proposed Animal Husbandry and allied activities Loaning • Enhance scale of finance on groundnut crop • Improved Farmers - Bankers interface • Capacity building of the farmers and bankers • Promote financial inclusion and literacy

20. Agro Based Industries: • Study projects of Agro based activities • Promote liberal lending for establishing industries • Establish manufacturing units of:- • Peanut Butter • Soya Milk • Tamarind Seed Powder • Mango Pulp • TuttiFrutti • Jowar Flakes/Pasta/Biscuits/Vermicelli • Ragi Pasta/Biscuits/Vermicelli, etc.

21. Task responsibility of Various COMMITTEES • I. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. • Capacity building. • Suggestions and Technical Interventions. • II. IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE • A. Village level Committee: • Create awareness among the beneficiaries. • Identification of Beneficiaries according to intervention of the concerned department. • Physical verification. • Collection of Documents. • Forwarding for sanctions. • Grounding of the Scheme. • B. Mandal level Committee: • Identification of scrutiny of the beneficiaries. • Technical Feasibility • Recommending for sanctions. • Issue of the Technical sanctions. • Monitoring and Implementation of the Scheme. • Conducting training programmers. • C. District level Committee: • Issue of administrative sanctions • Inspections and Monitoring of the Scheme. • Assessment of the Target. • Review of the Progress.

22. PROPOSED ORGANO GRAM

23. “He who grows two blades of grass where one grew earlier, is the greatest benefactor of society” - Sir Arthur Cotton