Sight and Life Magazine 1/2011

38FROM AGRICULTURE TO HORTICULTURE IN A DRY-LAND AREADiversification fromAgriculture to Nutritionallyand EnvironmentallyPromotive Horticulture ina Dry-Land AreaMahtab S Bamji, PVVS MurtyDangoria Charitable Trust, Hyderabad, IndiaM Vishnuvardhan RaoNational Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, IndiaG SatyanarayanaANGR Agriculture University, Hyderabad, IndiaIntroductionCereal pulse-based Indian diets are qualitatively poor in vitaminsand minerals due to inadequate consumption of vegetables andfruits – the major source of micronutrients in vegetarian diets. 1Homestead gardens have been reported to improve access toand consumption of vegetables. 2, 3, 4 Homestead food productionalso helps with household food security. 2, 5This study has attempted partial diversification from the water-intensivecropping pattern (rice and sugar cane) to horticultureusing green methods of farming in a dry-land area to improvehousehold access to vegetables and environment security.Subjects and methodsThe study was conducted in 15 villages from 4 mandals (population24,000), of the Medak district of the South Indian state ofAndhra Pradesh. The project was explained in village-level meetings;222 farmers who had land (marginal or small) and werewilling to partially diversify from rice and sugar cane to horticulture(mixed orchards, vegetable gardens), and adopt greenmethods of farming, were identified. Seeds/seedlings of micro-nutrient-rich varieties of vegetable and fruit were distributedamong the farmers identified. Drumstick, papaya, curry leaves(Murraya Koenigii) and creeper spinach (Basilla alba) seedlingswere raised by village women in backyard nurseries and thenpurchased from them, providing them with some income.Organic fertilizers, such as vermi compost, and botanicalpesticides, such as neem kernel and chili garlic decoction, werepromoted. Once every two months, experts were invited as facultyand centralized training programs were conducted on thecampus of the Dangoria Charitable Trust (DCT) in the villageof Narsapur. Hands-on training was also given via village-levelmeetings and visits to individual farms. In addition to horticulture,and the use of organic methods of farming, education in nutrition,health and environment formed an important part of thetraining. Focused group discussions (FGD) and slide and soundshows were organized in the evenings. School education wasalso an important part of creating awareness.Impact assessment was carried out by making a record ofdiverted land, crops grown and their survival, the adoption oforganic methods of farming etc. A rough estimate of vegetablessold and consumed at home was obtained by visiting householdsevery month and making enquiries.Baseline and end-line surveys on Knowledge, Attitude, andPractice (KAP) were carried out in four villages, representing threemandals, using a pretested questionnaire to test know-ledge ongreen methods of farming and nutrition. A diet survey using asemi-quantitative method was held to examine the impact onconsumption of protective foods such as vegetables, pulses andanimal products. This method involves obtaining information onthe frequency of consumption of different foods by the familyduring a typical week (when there are no guests, festivities, or