Issue 2/ Feb/14

February 2014

V
S
usthira
yavasayam
Dissemination - a catalyst for lasting change
You must be the change you wish to see in the world - Mahatma Gandhi.

Inside this issue:

Dissemination - a catalyst
for lasting change

RABI - Seasonal crop

information

Government Schemes:
life changers for tribal
communities

B. Venkureddy:
Leading from the front

Farming is a primary occupation in

India. The well-being of society as a
whole is defined and determined
by them. Over time, farming has
undergone a sequence of changes from traditional to mechanical intensive to market-driven agriculture and has made agriculture
cost intensive and less profitable.
In spite of the best efforts being
made by governments, corporates,
and other development organizations with their large network of
extension workforce, many gaps
exist in disseminating agricultural

information to the farmer. The

information being shared with
them often gets diluted and
loses its essence in the process.
In this scenario, Digital Green is
working towards strengthening
extension approaches with an
aim to bridge the knowledge
gaps. Disseminating agricultural information in a manner that
improves adoption rates is
currently the main objective of
the Digital Green approach.
Learning from experiences of

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traditional extensions and in an

effort to reduce the dilution
during information transfer,
Digital Greens approach focuses on human mediation with
the support of technology. For
this, Digital Green conducts a
three day dissemination training to strengthen the facilitation, group mobilization skills
of the outreach functionaries
and to provide them with
hands-on experience of using
technological tools.
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In the training, frontline functionaries of

the partner organization SERP CMSA,
Cluster Activists (CAs) and Village Activists (VAs) get an opportunity to learn from
others experiences and understand diverse opinions.
This training encourages a mutual learning
process. The CAs and VAs are encouraged
to discuss about agricultural problems.
The training imparts group mobilization
and facilitation skills to the CAs and VAs so
that they gain adequate skills to disseminate relevant information to the farmers.
During this process, they are trained to
disseminate innovative practices through
videos and motivate fellow farmers.

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Digital Green approach recognizes that

the participants are all adults who come
with various experiences, and these differences are respected and appreciated.
Moreover, the approach attempts to make
use of this diverse experiential knowledge
to create an environment of mutual learning. For knowledge transfer, Digital Green
believes in mobilization of the farmer
groups, and encourages them to have an
open interaction. The idea is to identify a
homogenous group of fellow farmers and
to address common issues and concerns
related to agriculture. Digital Green facilitates integration of human mediated dissemination process into the partners core
programme.
The extension worker has the potential to
motivate fellow farmers
to adopt best
agricultural
practices.
Digital Green
understands
that facilitation in extension activities
is a continuous engagement process,

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right from mobilizing groups to attend video

screenings, until the best practices are adopted. It includes improvising interpersonal
skills of outreach functionaries and managing the group through effective communication.
Based on the premise of seeing is believing,
this approach documents existing best practices in agriculture using audio visual media
in the form of short videos. These videos are
then shown to the farmer groups using portable projectors along with human mediation,
discussion and feedback. The training provides a hands-on experience to operate these
projectors and video playback.
The dissemination of videos is combined
with regular and continuous follow up, to
ensure adoptions of practices on a long term
basis. The ultimate objective of Digital Green
extension process is making it community
driven and community led in the long run.
The long term approach for a change will
only be possible with effective functioning of
outreach extension workers here in this
case, the Village Activists (VAs) and the Cluster Activists (CAs). They are the agents of
change and all the training and capacity
building interventions aim at equipping
these frontline functionaries for sustained
positive change.

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RABI - Seasonal crop information
The Rabi Crop Season begins with the onset of
the north-east monsoons during October in
Andhra Pradesh. The major Rabi crops grown
in the state are Jowar, Bengal gram, Safflower,
Paddy, Green gram, Black gram and Paddy. By
January, these crops are at a stage of growth
where it attracts pests and diseases. Hence,
there is a need for preparedness, and farmers
must know the harmful pesets that can damage
their crops, and the necessary precautions.

Pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) is the major

pest that can infect the Bengal gram, Safflower,
Green gram or Black grams in Rabi. This pest
can be controlled by spraying Brahmastram (if
infection is on leaf) or Agnastram (if infection is
in the pores) alternatively. Other harmful pests
for these crops are sucking pests like Aphids
and Jassids. These pests can be controlled to a
great extent using cow dung, urine and asafetida liquid (Peda-muthram Inguva Dhravanam).
Crops like Jowar, Paddy and Wheat are generally not affected by sucking pests.

For Paddy crop, Agnastram can be used to control the infection of the Stem Borer, a major
pest that attacks rice throughout its growth
period. Rice Blast is the major disease that affect Paddy crop, and can be controlled by
spraying Bael leaf liquid extract (Maridipatra
Kashayam).
Wheat is not grown widely in Andhra Pradesh.
But in the areas where Wheat is harvested,
Wheat leaf rust is a major disease. It can be
treated using cow dung, cow urine and asafetida liquid (Peda-muthram Inguva Dhravanam).

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Government Schemes: life changers for tribal

communities
us to meet our basic re- cluster beans on the plot.
quirements of food, shelter
and clothing.
Under

the

After utilizing the produce for our own

household consumption, we now send the

governments rest to the market to ensure regular source

Poorest of Poor scheme, of income for sustainable livelihood. Apart

we were given half an acre from the above, we are also availing the benI am Savitiri from Nandivana village, Gurugu
billi mandal, Vijayanagaram District. I belong
to the jatapu tribe. We have three children,
studying in the government school. Being
agricultural laborers it was very difficult for

of land to cultivate, along with a financial efits of Anthoyodaya Anna Yojana and Arogsupport of Rs.10,000 from CMSA. We started yashri cards. These schemes have been a
growing variety of crops like chilly, Marigold, blessing to us, and we live happier lives now.
Hibiscus canabinis (gongura), Turmeric, leafy
vegetables, ladys finger, Brinjal, Tomato and

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B. Venkureddy:
Leading from the front
Name

: B.Venkureddy, C.A

Age

: 43 Years

Education

: B.A

Village

: Gandoru palli

Mandal

: Rappur

District

: Nellore

Venkureddy, a native of Gandurupalli village,

Rapur Mandalam, Nellore district has been
working as a Cluster Activist with SERP-IKP
for the last 5 years. A bachelor degree holder
by education, he took up farming 15 years
ago, because of his keen interest in sustainable agriculture. He owns four and a half acres
of lemon orchard, where he also practices

ntercropping. Looking at his sustainable farming

practices and experience, a local NGO requested him to join them as a Community Resource
Person (CRP). As a CRP, he worked in various
districts for a year, and then joined as a CA
with SERP-IKP, promoting Non Pesticide Management practices in Gilakapadu cluster.
Initially, his fellow farmers reacted with apprehension when he asked them to adopt
Non-pesticide
management
practices.
Gradually, the same farmers started to realize
the benefits of these practices and began
adopting them. Venkireddy opines that there
are still many farmers who are unaware of
NPM practices, and few others have
misconceptions about NPM approach which is

Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty

5-10-192, 3rd 4th Floor, Hermitage Office Complex,
Huda Building, Hill Fort Road, Nampally, Hyderabad-500004.
Phone : +91.9000400508
www.serp.ap.gov.in

hindering their adoption of NPM practices in

agriculture. He reiterates the importance of
taking NPM programme to all the farmers on
a large scale.
It was at this time, that the Digital Green
approach was introduced by SERP-CMSA in
Nellore district and Venkureddy
started
using this model to educate farmers in his
cluster. The farmers are increasingly showing
enthusiasm to watch the videos on NPM
practices, and adopt the same in their farms.
He says that using this approach, he can reach
out to a larger number of farmers and
strongly believes that he can convert his
village into a 100 percent NPM village.

Digital Green,
House No. 8-2-672\1\C\A\1, 135 Ave 2, Road No 13,
Next to Taj Banjara Staff Entrance,
Banjara Hills, Hyderabad - 500034, India.
Phone: +91.40.66664958
www.digitalgreen.org