Livelihood Security through integration of low input technologies for small land holders of Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh

The Trivediganj is a block of Barabanki district, one of the disadvantaged district of Uttar Pradesh. Agriculture is the major source of the family income for this rainfed area and paddy followed by wheat is the main crop. The cluster comprises 31.05% landless, 42.11% marginal, 20 % small and 6.84% large farming families. The average annual family income for landless, marginal and small farmers during pre-intervention period was Rs.14000.45, 25900.45 and 50400.12, respectively. The NAIP-3 project, “Holistic approach for livelihood security through livestock based farming system in Barabanki & Raebareli districts of U.P.”, was launched on 25th July, 2009.

Shri Majeed, of Dowdpur village, is one of the representative beneficiary farmers, having a family size of 9 persons and living in one small katcha hut. His source of livelihood was working as labour (painter) in Lucknow, 1-3 desi bird and 2 buffaloes and 2 non descript goat giving hint annual income upto Rs. 46050/= from all sources. He had one hillock full of pebbles in his possession (0.29 ha) on which he was cultivating some vegetables for family use.

He was intervened initially with open range chicks in the batches of 25 to generate resources. The poultry was linked with in situ cultivation of azolla for feeding the poultry and bringing the feed cost to near nil. The family was educated and motivated  to convert the hillock into terraces  which was done within one month and all the pebbles were removed manually by the family. The area was planted with 85 guava (Lalit variety) seedling at 3 m spaces. The interspaces are used for vegetable production through out the year. The poultry was allowed to graze in the guava orchard. The buffaloes are low producing with prolonged inter-calving period. They were made pregnant using our most effective non-hormonal mineral based technology with their exposure for future adoptability. Simultaneously he was given 4 Sirohi goats to re-strengthen goat units. The cycle started. He constructed one broiler rearing shed by his own generated resources. Now he has 85 healthy guava plants in fruiting without a  single attack of pest and diseases (grazing poultry have eathen all the attacking insects on the plant and cost of pesticides is nil till now), round the year vegetable production in 0.29 ha, 3 lactating buffaloes with improved calves, about 200 birds of “Nirbhik/Shyama” germplasm, broiler unit, 10 goats ( with kids), katcha hut dismantled and preparing for a proper brick house, cultivable land on lease, married his daughter with expenditure of approx. Rs. 80000/=. He is making vermi-compost and NADEP for use in the field, home grown trichoderma and pseudomonas in earthen pots using dung, urine and jaggery for spraying on vegetables.His total annual income is exceeding Rs. 1.5 lakhs and hope will cross Rs. 2.0 lakhs by the end of 2011. Further interventions as floriculture, new rural poultry production technology based on semi-range system etc. is in pipeline. He and other such farmer families are highly obliged by heart to ICAR/NAIP/ Project which came for their rescue from such poverty level using easy and low cost innovative agricultural technologies. 

(Source :R.B.Rai Consortium P.I. email:  drrbrai@yahoo.co.in )