The workshop participants at Birdha village in Uttar Pradesh’s Lalitpur. Photo: ICRISAT
A group of policymakers and officials from across India recently experienced ICRISAT’s sustainable research-for-development practices being implemented in the country’s Bundelkhand region which are benefitting 30,000 families reliant on farming.
A travel workshop-cum-exposure visit was organised for the group during 9-11 October 2021 where the knowledge generated was shared. Participants got to observe climate-smart agriculture technologies being adopted at farm and landscape level for building system level resilience. The workshop involved visits to sites in Lalitpur, Jhansi, Mahoba and Chitrakoot districts, where site specific climate resilient interventions (e.g., haveli cultivation, agroforestry, community ponds, large scale field bunding, field drainage structures, state-of-the-art instrumentation) have been implemented and engaging with farmers as well as other stakeholders. More than 35 senior level officials and representatives from Karnataka, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states took part in the workshop.
Photo: ICRISAT
With the support of the Government of Uttar Pradesh state in India, ICRISAT has been able to implement these climate-resilient practises under the “Doubling Farmers’ Income in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh” project since 2018. The project covers nearly 40,000 ha in eight pilot sites across seven districts.
The initiative has enhanced water resources, crop productivity, crop intensification and improved the well-being of the farming community. Other outcomes observed in the pilot sites include a reduction in rural-urban migration with increasing employment opportunities leading to livelihood improvements.
The officials expressed interest in collaborating with ICRISAT to replicate similar model sites in their states to build climate resilience while rejuvenating watersheds for agriculture.
The event was organised by Drs Sreenath Dixit, Ramesh Singh, Kaushal K Garg, KH Anantha and Venkataradha along with Scientific Officers of the ICRISAT Development Center and field staff based at project locations.
Project: Doubling farmers’ income in Bundelkhand Region, Uttar Pradesh
Funder: Government of Uttar Pradesh
Partners: Central Agroforestry Research Institute (CAFRI), Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (ICAR-IGFRI), Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, BAIF, Bharat Agriculture, Lakshya Seva Samiti, Gram Unnati, Samarpan, Jan Kalyan Samiti, Samarth Foundation, Gram Unmesh Sansthan, Gramin Vikas Kendra, Upman Mahila Samstan
