The State of Uttar Pradesh has plentiful water resources, but due to population growth and increasing demand for grain for various purposes, the insufficiency of available water resources to meet the needs of the local people is becoming increasingly evident. Besides, there are regional imbalances on account of spatial and temporal distributions. Subject to frequent climatic and hydrological droughts, the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh (and also in Madhya Pradesh) has experienced severe agricultural droughts, with the exception of the current year.

Farmers’ indebtedness in Bundelkhand has been the primary cause of farmer suicides, hunger deaths, the sale of wives and children or entire villages, chronic malnutrition, especially of women and children, and migration, all of which are on the rise in Bundelkhand. Rural poverty results in household and village-level food insecurity, which in turn forces the farmers into a vicious spiral of ill-health, low productivity and deepening poverty. These hardships have led to the growth and intensification of communal, caste and class-based violence, which, in turn, exacerbates environmental degradation and poverty. Having chosen Bundelkhand as its Karmabhumi, the Development Alternatives Group has focused its operations on the hardest-hit areas of the region, where interventions aimed at facilitating positive change are needed most. DA has worked tirelessly in this area on the implementation and replication of resource-efficient alternative farming techniques. The primary causes of rural indebtedness are low productivity and crop failure (due to the lack of adequate seeds and fertilisers, erratic rainfall as well as crop disease and pest attacks), environmental degradation, lack of access to natural resources, excessive interest rates on loans, and farmers’ inability to negotiate adequate prices in markets.

Considering all of the above constraints and the need to overcome the difficulties they pose, precision and hi-tech farming can be used to improve the quality of life of local residents by enhancing per capita income of the outreach farmers in the Bundelkhand region. DA has undertaken efficient farming methods that have been developed and field-tested at TARAgram Pahuj, a Sustainable Resource Centre of the DA Group dedicated to sustainable farming for the development of Bundelkhand and to improving the standard of living in its rural households.

Generally, coco-peat Media is made up of coconut fiber or husk. A by-product of the coconut harvesting process, it acts as a catalyst on seedling germination of vegetable and floriculture crops. This sustainable farming technology could be widely replicated among the farmers of the Bundelkhand Region.

In the Bundelkhand region, climate change has adversely affected the cropping system in Khareef as well as the rabi crops. Temperatures rise to 48 degrees Celsius in the summer and drop to 5 degrees Celsius in the winter. Climate change has reduced crop productivity and the quantity of food grain, which has deepened levels of poverty in the entire region. Indoor crop cultivation is one means of coping with drastic temperature changes. This technology has been implemented and demonstrated at the TARAgram Pahuj Campus as well as replicated in the field.

A soil test is a process by which elements (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulphur, manganese, copper and zinc) are chemically removed from the soil and measured for their "plant- available" content within the sample. The quantity of available nutrients in the sample determines the amount of fertiliser that is recommended. A soil test also measures soil pH, humus matter and exchangeable acidity. These analyses indicate whether lime is needed and, if so, how much should be applied in the field. Water quality may also be tested to find out the acidity and alkalinity levels of the soil. 

Mulching on bed is the process of covering the soil surface to create favourable conditions for plant growth, and efficient crop production. Mulching has been practiced in India for a significant period of time, using mainly crop residues such as straw, stalks and leaves. But of late, plastic mulches have come into use due to the advantage of efficient moisture conservation, weed suppression and maintenance of soil temperature for faster mineralisation. The advantages of plastic mulches include
• Preventing the evaporation of moisture from the soil

• Permitting the use of a minimum quantity of water for poly-mulched crops, which results in 40-50% savings of irrigation water, and indirectly reduces energy consumption

• Minimising the loss of nutrients through leaching

• Preventing weed growth and reducing the cost of weeding

• Encouraging plant growth by creating a favourable microclimate and promoting rhizospheric microbes which speed up the mineralisation of nutrients

• Completely arresting soil erosion

Under ideal conditions, seeds should be planted at recommended intervals and uniform depth achieved through the use of seed drillers. However, farmers of the Bundelkhand region apply the traditional broadcasting method, which results in low crop productivity. Crop rotation and varietal change had not been adopted in the region due to a lack of awareness and the technical know-how required for the adoption of precision farming for increased crop production.

The farmers of Bundelkhand have no recourse to Insect Pest Management during crop cultivation due to the unavailability of the necessary substances and a lack of commercial outreach. The effect of the lack of access to the means of pest management and fertiliser results in major production losses, which lead to growing rates of suicide among farmers in the Bundelkhand region. To avoid this difficulty, the Tetra vermi bed technology and vermi-wash can increase crop productivity in place of chemical fertigation.

Mahatma Gandhi declared the goat to be the "Poor Man’s Cow." It provides a dependable source of income to 40% of the rural population below the poverty line in India – a country that ranks first in the world in terms of the number of its goats as well as genetic variation among the animals. Goat rearing yields multiple economic benefits and plays a significant role in providing nutrition for landless, small and marginal farmers in the country. Goat rearing is also practiced by a large segment of the rural population. Goats can efficiently survive on shrubs and trees in adverse environments and infertile areas where no other crop can be grown. In pastoral and agricultural subsistence societies in India, goats are kept as a source of additional income and as insurance against disaster. Goats are also used in ceremonial feastings and for the payment of social dues. In addition to this, the goat carries religious and ritual importance in many societies. The goat is a versatile animal that can thrive on poor agricultural lands and incidental vegetation. The management and care of goats is much simpler than that of large ruminants, which increases the value of the animal, especially for the resource-poor. Goat rearing can therefore be an important tool for poverty alleviation, especially in the Bundelkhand region.

The Jamunapari and Barbary goats are recommended by the animal husbandry department for Bundelkhand region.

The Jamunapari goat is large-sized, tall and leggy, with large, folded, pendulous ears and a prominent Roman nose. This goat has thick hair on its hindquarters, and short, flat horns. It tends to give birth to two kids once a year, and to yield two litres of milk per day. This breed is reared between the Ganga Jamuna and Chambal.

The Barbary breed of the Bundelkhand region is just as easily found in the Etawah, Agra, Mathura and Aligarh districts of U.P. and the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. A good producer of milk and a highly prolific animal, this goat generally gives birth to twins and triplets. It is a dwarf breed, highly suited for stall-feeding conditions and found in the cities. The Barbary goat is a small animal with a compact body, and provides 700-1000 ml of milk per day.

The Barbary goat breed gives birth to kids twice a year, with an occurrence interval of 6 months. The total cost of kids produced over two year’s amounts to a net profit Rs. 97000.00.

If the activities mentioned above were to be implemented by the farmers of Bundelkhand, the region would undoubtedly make significant strides in sustainable development. q