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

group members. Inorganic fertilizer use is quite different for the three groups. While only 25% of no livestock
group has reported buying inorganic fertilizer, up to 50% of the other two groups have purchased some.
However, average quantity purchased is only 36 kg per household for the large ruminant group, 24 kg for the
small ruminant group and only 7 kg per household for the no livestock group. Given that inorganic fertilizer is
the most expensive purchased agricultural input in the region, its quantity used can be a good proxy for amounts
farmers are investing and/or are willing to invest in agriculture.
The first group (no livestock) is expected to be the one most concerned with food shortages. All household
resources are primarily geared toward making sure enough food is available for the year. This group would be
most likely to have few adopters of agricultural innovations. The behavior is justified by lack of all resources to
devote to agricultural innovations. For this group extra labor will most likely serve as laborer in other farmers’
fields and capital is almost not available to them.
The second group is composed of households with only small ruminants in their herds. For this group
agriculture will be the most important activity and their often looking for options to improve their production.
They are not food constrained as the first group. Farmers in this category are expected to be able to invest
additional labor and/or small amount of capital into agricultural innovations. Adoption rate of new technology in
this group is expected to be high especially for labor intensive ones and those requiring limited cash investment.
The third group is that of the wealthiest farmers with animal herds composed of small ruminants but also cattle.
Farmers in this third group are often very influent in the village. Even though they have crop production
activities, it is not necessarily their most important one. They are often looking for opportunities to invest in
lucrative activities. They will adopt agricultural innovations if profitability of such investment can be
demonstrated to them.
Technology development for this region should take into account the fact that households are different in their
investment and risk handling capabilities. Technologies that require cash investments will have a smaller
number of potential adopters unless strategies are devised to increase liquidity and risk handling capacity for
those farmers. Labor intensive ones can also run into availability constraints because poor households are often
too busy making sure that enough food is made available immediately that they do not devote enough time to
their crops. Very poor farmers (most often without any assets) have limited investment risk bearing capacity and
are more unlikely to invest in technologies requiring cash investments.
Priority 5B: Making international and domestic markets work for the poor
Priority 5B, Specific goal 1: Enhanced livelihoods and competitiveness for smallholder producers and food
safety for consumers influenced by changes in national and international markets
Priority 5B Specific goal 2: Improved marketing environment for smallholders by improving the efficiency of
domestic markets
Output 1C. Strategies that encourage investment in dryland agriculture, that enhance the competitiveness
and quality standards of farmer products, that facilitate innovative methods to improve coordination in
market chains, that ensure profitable marketing channels and outlets for ICRISAT mandate crops in
domestic and international markets identified and promulgated by 2009 throughout the SAT with new
knowledge shared with partners
MTP Output Targets 2006 : Profitable marketing channels and outlets for dryland grain legumes and tradable
coarse grains in domestic and international markets identified
: Strategies that enhance farmer access and utilization of productive inputs and
linked services that enhance competitiveness developed
1C.1. Policy brief on re-energizing agriculture through diversification using the example of SAT India
Diversification of agriculture towards high value crops: role of urbanization and infrastructure (Asia)
Objectives: 1. Document current trends in agricultural diversification towards HVCs
2. Identify major factors driving or impeding diversification
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