ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

Milestone 5A.8.1.2: Ten sorghum scientists trained biannually (BVSR/Sorghum Team—alternate year)
A learning program on “Sorghum Hybrid Parents and Hybrid Research and Development” is planned to be
conducted from 6 to 17 February 2007. About 25 sorghum scientists from both public and private sector
organizations from Asia and Africa and Latin America are expected to participate in the program.
BVS Reddy
Milestone 5A.8.1.3: Two thousand farmers adopt improved sorghum cultivars and crop production practices in
India, China and Thailand (ASA/ChRR/BVSR/PPR/ CLLG/FW, 2007)
The project titled “Enhancing the utilization of sorghum and pearl millet grains in poultry feed to improve the
livelihoods of the small-scale farmers in Asia” funded by CFC–FAO is operational since 2005. The project aims at
(i) development of effective coalition of all stakeholders (groups of small-scale sorghum and pearl millet farmers,
poultry and feed production farmers, private sector, NGOs, etc.) in order to improve crop productivity and enhance
skills in harvesting, bulking, storage and handling practices of grain, (ii) identifying the constraints in sorghum and
pearl millet production and to provide information on improved production (aims at packages and seeds of improved
cultivars by involving private seed companies), (iii) strengthening input supply chain system (fertilizers, pesticides,
seeds of improved varieties, credit facility etc.) for sorghum and pearl millet production and output supply chains to
stimulate the use of these crops as raw material for commercial poultry feed production, (iv) develop linkages with
other input dealers for credit, seeds, fertilizer, etc., by organizing farmers into groups for effective input delivery
mechanisms, and (v) to link farmer groups with poultry feed manufacturing companies and poultry producers to
enable the farmers to sell the grain to feed manufacturers for use in manufacturing poultry feed.
As a part of basic requirement for implementation of the project, two clusters in Andhra Pradesh, three clusters in
Maharashtra, and one cluster each in China and Thailand have been identified. A total of 10 partners were identified
as coalition partners to support the project activities that includes research institutes, state agricultural universities,
Krishi Vignana Kendras (KVKs), and private sector companies. The farmers’ associations have been formed and
necessary support has been extended to these partners. The farmers were trained in the use of improved production
technologies, grain bulking, grading and improved grain storage technologies for sorghum and pearl millet.
The project interventions enabled farmers to realize enhanced sorghum productivity in Andhra Pradesh clusters by
70−90% and in Maharashtra clusters by 20−30%; and pearl millet productivity by 90−110% in Andhra Pradesh and
Maharashtra clusters through improved production practices. Storage structures have been constructed in the clusters
in India through farmers’ participatory approach and being used by cluster farmers for bulking their sorghum and
pearl millet grains.
BVS Reddy, AS Alur, CR Reddy, P Parthasarathy Rao,
CLL Gowda and F Waliyar
Milestone 5A.8.1.4: Market linkages for the sale of sorghum grain (100 t) to poultry feed manufacturers by sorghum
farmers in India, China and Thailand established (ASA/ChRR/BVSR/PPR/CLLG/FW, 2008)
One of the major activities of the CFC-FAO-ICRISAT project is to link the farmers cultivating sorghum and pearl
millet with the processors. Thus, the reasons for distress sale of the produce immediately after the crop harvest to the
commission agents/ middlemen in the local market or to the money lenders were studied. The study of the marketing
systems in the project area indicated that this distress sale of the farm produce is due to one or more of the following
reasons:
• Immediate cash needs of the farmers for family expenses such as education/health/ family functions
• Repayment of loans borrowed from private money lenders
• Lack of storage space for keeping the produce without deterioration in grain quality
• Lack of market intelligence/non-availability of market information
• Difficulties of transport of small quantum of produce to market
The project is promoting the utilization of sorghum and pearl millet for poultry feed in India, China and Thailand.
Efforts to link small and marginal farmers to the processors (poultry feed manufacturers and other industrial users)
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