1. Strengthening CBOs and participatory processes
1.1. Strengthen CBOs and participatory processes:
Strengthening the CBOs of farmers with emphasis on Gender and social equity, so that they play a more pro-active role in PPIME (Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation); and be proactive and responsive to any of their needs and problems.
1.2. Women Leadership Development:
Developing women’s leadership at all levels in CBOs, so that they play active role in decision making at family and CBOs and play active role in the process of their development.
1.3. Promote savings and mutual cooperation in farming operations and other livelihoods:
Promote savings and mutual co-operation amongst farmers in farming operations and other livelihoods in order to save costs, enhance synergy in farm production and market gains through bulk marketing, processing and value addition.
2. Combating drought and revitalising rainfed agriculture:
2.1 Developing and promoting drought-mitigation technologies and practices in order to save rainfed crops from long dry-spells low and erratic rainfall:
The most central issue in Anantapur is that low and erratic rainfall, particularly long dry-spells causing moisture stress and droughts. Developing various technologies and practices to cope with moisture stress is central to combat droughts and revitalise rainfed agriculture.
2.2. Promote diversified cropping patterns for drought resilience, food & nutritional security and enhance agro-bio diversity.
Experiment, develop and demonstrate drought resilient mixed / intercropping with millets and pulses keeping in view the low and erratic rainfall; enhance food & nutritional security and agro-bio diversity.
2.3. Promote diversified rainfed tree crops for fruit, fodder and biomass for drought resilience and environmental development:
Experiment and demonstrate rainfed, drought tolerant and mixed / diversified tree-based cropping patterns as viable farming system integrating fruit, fodder, fiber, bio-mass, medicinal trees as a solution for farmers to cope with droughts and improve their land productivity.
2.4. Shift from HEIDA (High External Input Destructive Agriculture) to LEISA (Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture):
Experiment and demonstrate the efficacy of various farmer-and-eco-friendly Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA) and cost-saving practices for rainfed as well as irrigated conditions replacing the current High External Input Destructive Agriculture (HEIDA).
3. Promote skill based employment / self-employment for under-educated rural youth:
Promote alternate, non-farm and skill based livelihoods for under-educated rural youth, with special emphasis on women.
4. Policy advocacy and building public opinion:
Campaign, educate, inform and build public opinion and lobby with Government in favour of policies for combating drought and desertification, Sustainable Agriculture, Watershed Development, gender and social equity.
5. Explore the possibilities of carbon revenues through Low Carbon Farming and use of renewable energy:
5.1 Undertake Biogas project under CDM inorder to generate free renewable cooking gas for farmers, generate carbon credits, and save trees.
5.2 Research Low Carbon Farming practices and explore the possibilities of carbon revenues for farmers under CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) and or VERs (Verified Emission Reductions).
6. Organisational Development towards a strong and dynamic organization:
Enhance organizational efficiency and effectiveness by improving participatory planning, implementation, monitoring and Evaluation (PIME), staff commitment, motivation and skills; performance assessments, accountability, gender, organisational learning and change to be a dynamic and strong organization.
Specific objectives to be achieved by 2018:
- 80% of the CBOs strong and effectively functioning at village, mandal and project level actively participating in planning, monitoring and evaluation.
- Enhanced participation and leadership of women farmers at village, mandal and project level.
- Drought mitigation practices and technologies are developed and demonstrated inorder to cope with low, erratic rainfall and long dry spells.
- A shift in cropping pattern by 30% of target farmers from mono crop of groundnut towards a diversified cropping with millets and pulses.
- A shift in cropping practices by atleast 30% of target farmers from HEIDA to cost-effective and eco-friendly LEISA.
- Experimented and demonstrated drought tolerant models of tree crops
- Generate alternate non-farm, skill based employment opportunities for under-educated rural youth particularly women.
- Undertake Biogas project under CDM (Climate Change Mitigation) inorder to benefit farmers and environment.
- Explore prospects of carbon revenues to farmers with LCF (Low Carbon Farming)
- A more sensitized Anantapur Civil Society and CSOs voicing for combating droughts & desertification and lobbying for policies and programmes more in favour of combating drought and desertification, sustainable agriculture, gender, social equity etc.