Workshop on Micro-planning for Organic farming

Jointly organized by National Council of Rural Institutes (NCRI) & Gayathri Rural
Educational Society (GRES) India, Srikakulam dist, A.P.

Date of Convention: 30-12-2009

Venue: Technology Training Development Centre (TTDC) NPM Pranganam,

Echerla, Srikakulam DT. A.P.

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Report on the one day workshop on Micro-planning
for Organic farming

Date 30-12-2009
Venue: Technology Training Development Centre (TTDC) DRDA NPM
Pranganam, Echerla, Srikakulam Dist, A.P.

Jointly organized by
National Council of Rural Institutes, Hyderabad, A.P.
&
Gayathri Rural Educational Society (GRES-INDIA) , Srikakulam

Participants:

1) Sri R.S. Ramarao, Project officer, Micro-planning unit, NCRI, Hyderabad

2) Smt.S.Krishna Kumari Director, GRES-INDIA, Srikakulam.
3) Dr. Ramesh Babu, Director GRES-INDIA, Srikakulam
4) Sri T. BabuRao Naidu, Project Director, DRDA, Srikakulam( Chief Guest )
5) Sri Subrahmaniam, AGM, NABARD, Srikakulam
6) Dr.P.Jamuna, Scientist, Krishi Vigyana Kendra(KVK), Amudalavalasa
7) Dr. Anil Kumar, Scientist,(KVK) Amudalavalasa
8) Sri K. Venugopal, President Press club of Srikakulam
Honouarary guests
9) Justice M.R. Seshagiri Rao, Senior civil judge & Secretary, Legal services cell,
Srikakulam
10) Smt. Sudharani, Advocate, Srikakulam
11) Sri Manmadha Rao, Advocate, Srikakulam

NGO Members;
SL.NO Name of the participant Name of NGO Organisation
1. Mrs. Savitri President Pragathi Mahila Mandali
2. Mr.Raja Rao Secretary Sai Rural Development Society(Srds)

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3. Mr.Shankar President Navayuga Rural Development Society
4. Mr.Prabhakar President Yuvajana Sevasangham
5. Mr.Raju President ) Social Economical Ecological Service
Society(Sees)
6. Mr.Jagan President) Voluntary Action For Rural
Development(Vard
7. Mr.Seshibhushan President Jana Chaithanya Organisation
8. Mrs.Krishna Kumari Director Gayatri Rural Educational Society(Gres)
9. Mr.Shankar Rao President Gunn Udatayya Etarnal Service
Team(Guest)
10. Mrs.Laitha President Poor People's Service Society
11. Mr.Venkata Swamy President Prerana Voluntary Organisation
12. Mr.Phalguna Rao President Grameen Prajala Punarnirmana Seva
Samtha (Gppss)
13. Mr.BalaRam Naidu President Kanthi Social Service Society (KSSS)

14. Mr,Ramana Murthy President Health Education And Legal Protection

(Help)
15. Mr.Narsimha Murthy President Helping Hands Association (Hha)
16. Mrs.Indira President ) Priyadarshini Rural And Integrated
Association (Pria
17. Mr.Hari Babu President Pragathi Seva Society
18. Mr.Venkateswar Rao President Peoples Organisation For Welfare
Education And Rehabilitation (Power)
19. Mrs. Satyavathi President Ramabhai Mahila Mandali
20. Mr.Nagabhusan Rao President Reliable Organisation For Socio And
Education Service (ROSES)

21. Mr.Krishna President Spandana

22. Mr.Varaprasad President Samaikya
23. Mrs.Vara Laxmi President Sri Laxmi Mahila Mandali
24. Mr.Raghu Rama Raju President Faith In Action Services And Truth
(Fast)
25. Mr. Rama Rao Bund Rural Orphan Tribal Handicapped
President Education Relief Society (Brothers)
26. Mr.Rajagopal Rao President Sri Sadguru Simhadralm Verakmamma
Sankshama Aroghya Sangham (Ssswh
Society)
27. Mr. Arun Kumar President Arunodaya Rural Development
28. Mrs. Savithri President Rakshita Society

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 29. Mrs.Damayanthi President Surya Dev. Society
30. Mrs. Laxmi Bhai President Srinivasa Mahila Mandali
31. Mrs.Ankamma President Somalamma Mahila Mandali
32. Mrs.Simmamma President Bhima Bhai Mahila Mandali
33. Mrs, Laxmi President Women Development Network
34. Mr.Ramana Murthy President Sweep
35. Mr.Santhosh Kumar President Sai Rural Development Society
36. Mr.Ramesh President Affect Services
37. Mr.Rami Reddy President World
38. Mrs.B.Suneetha President Global Human Services

SHG Members 38 members

NPM Farmers: 65 members.

In all ( 162 ) members have participated in the workshop including the staff of
GRES India.

Objectives of the workshop:

1. Introduction of the concept in the framework of Micro Planning.

2. To create awareness about the importance of Micro Planning in the present
scenario.
3. To create an awareness about the abundance of inputs at village level for this
concept.
4. To make the participant groups fully aware about the need of their participation in
Micro Planning.
5. To create an alliance with the various stakeholders in the process for funding the
programme.
6. To create an awareness about the need of the hour of the concept.

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 7. To create awareness in the targeted group through the PRIs, NGOs and SHG
groups, the procedural steps in organic farming through resource persons.
8. To share findings of organic farming already being practiced in some holdings in
the district.
9. To demand governmental support for the development of the villages on the basis
of Micro Planning.
10. To spread the message of Micro Planning and its relevance in rural development.

Methodology:

1. Presentation
2. Experts participation
3. Sharing of experience
4. Group discussions
5. Field visit

First Session: 10.30am to 1.30pm

Proceedings of the work shop: The workshop has been inaugurated by Sri R.S.
Ramarao, Project Officer, Micro Planning, NCRI, Hyderabad. Dr. Ramesh Babu, Project
Director Director, GRES-INDIA has invited Sri T. Babu Rao Naidu, Project Director,
DRDA, Srikakulam to preside the workshop as Chief Guest. Sri Ramesh Babu Project
Director, GRES-INDIA introduced the Chief Guest and other district officials and
participants, NGO groups, SHG group members to Sri R.S. Ramarao, NCRI, Hyderabad.
He gave an introduction about his organization, its theme, operational area and the
schemes involved therein actively and his future commitments to work with NCRI jointly
in Micro Planning and also in other units for the development of the down trodden rural
population in Srikakulam, Visakhapatanam and Vizianagaram districts.

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Madam Krishna Kumari, Secretary, GRES-INDIA has explained the activities of their
organization on the women empowerment front
being taken up in the district and expressed her
readiness to interact with major governmental
bodies like NCRI for the promotion of the living
status of women in the above three districts through
SHG groups for Micro Planning.

In his inaugural address Sri R.S. Ramarao, NCRI, Hyderabad explained about the
inception of NCRI, its head quarters, ministry, mission, goal and its various other units of
operation.
He revealed that the concept of Micro Planning is the need of hour in these days when
routine planning of schemes for the benefit of
down trodden in the villages lacked the
participation of the later and thus could not reach
its proper destination in practice, resulting in its
on the way pilferages and finally an achievement
too far from its target. Micro Planning is a tool to
involve the rural population at base level in
identifying the problem and their resources
specifically before formulating a plan. Mr. Rao
said that NCRI owing to its limited manpower is
planning to empower the rural institutes to bridge
this gap and educate the rural youth and
participant individuals and groups for preparing a
viable Micro Planning Scheme at grass root level,
to be implemented with active involve ment of various govt. and non govt. functionaries.
Coming to the topic of organic farming Sri R.S Ramarao has made a recollection of its
operation by the earlier generations successfully and informally and has distinguished

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organic farming from Green Revolution. He made a note on the abundant availability of
several inputs at village itself in organic farming. By virtue of including it in Micro
Planning Scheme, the need of the hour will be practically met, and he further revealed
that as such there is no dearth for marketing facilities of organic food products and more
so it is also a measure of social health which is a concern of the masses nowadays.. He
has explained the role of various functionaries both government and non-government
especially NGOs and SHG groups in preparing a viable Micro Planning Scheme in
organic farming. He has requested the Project Direct, DRDA who has attended the
workshop on behalf of the District Collector Srikakulam to involve all the government
functionaries’ concerned and active NGO groups for allocation of funds by referring in
DPC meetings and bankers meetings in the district for inclusion of Micro Planning
Schemes , after their preparation at grass root level.

Sri K. Baburao Naidu, Project Director, DRDA, Srikakulam as the Chief Guest of the
workshop during his address welcomed the concept and revealed that the NPM
Pranganam of Echerla of Srikakulam district is the seat of several novel agro training
programmes. He stressed the need of propagating
the message of Micro Planning with organic farming
in the present scenario where the productivity of
the mother soil is deteriorating at a fast pace, year
to year due to indiscriminate use of chemical
fertilizers, inorganic pesticides by the over
enthusiastic farming community and also causing
an environmental pollution threat to the mankind. He cited an example of growth of
forest trees purely on organic base without the intervention of any inorganic inputs. He
revealed that 5 NGO organizations in the district are already in action and are adopting
organic farming under IKP. He revealed that the NPA programme which works on the
principles of organic farming is being implemented in 192 villages in the district. He has
also arranged a power point presentation on the programmes being implemented in 16
mandals with NPM. Brochures of “POLAM”, a monthly government publication on
agriculture in Srikakulam explaining the progress of NPM have been distributed to the
participants in the workshop.

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Sri N. Subrahmaniam, Asst. General Manager, NABARD has stressed the need of
learning the techniques in organic farming by
the farmers community as per the guidelines of
the scientists and progressive farmers in the
field to be included in Micro Planning at base
level. He made a profound explanation on the
factor and product markets and certification
facilities in organic farming and also subsidy
patterns on various agro schemes through NABARD for organic fertilizer units of various
types.

Dr. Jamuna and Dr. Anil Kumar, Scientists of Krishi Vigyana Kendra (KVK),
Amudalavalasa have participated as resource
persons in this workshop. Dr. Jamuna has
categorically explained the destruction pattern
of soil structure and texture with the
indiscriminate use of inorganic inputs by the
present farming community and also she has
suggested the remedy only by replacing the
inorganic fertilizers with organic compost,
farmyard manure, vermiculture and so many organic supplementary inputs
availablelocally in order to get a good soil texture, structure and humus and requested the
farming community through the NGO & SHG organizations present to assimilate this fact
and adopt to organic farming through the schemes like Micro Planning for a sustainable
soil and environmental health. She gave a PowerPoint presentation on the above topic
explaining about the factors.

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Dr. Anil Kumar, Scientist (KVK) Amudalavalasa has explained the damage of
environment due to indiscriminate use of
chlorinated hydrocarbons and organophospherous,
pesticides and requested the farming community
though a PowerPoint presentation as to how such
menace can be gradually avoided by adopting the
usage of organic fertilizers and also pesticides
gradually and especially on the vegetable
cultivation.

Field Visit: The Project Director DRDA, has arranged a field visit to all the participants
in the workshop with in NPM Pranganam in which Palekar Multi tier organic farming,
poor man’s cold storage for vegetables and Azolana bacterial field culture have all been
demonstrated with explanation by the field In charge. The above practical programmes
are well received by the audience owing to their attractive and successful status in the
field.

Lunch Break 1.30pm to 2.15pm

Second Session 2.15pm to 5.00pm:

Sri K. Venugopal Rao, Deputy Director of agriculture has appreciated the importance of
Micro Planning for organic farming as a
measure of sustainable organic agriculture. He
has compared the damages and benefits of
organic and inorganic cultivation. He has also
expressed his readiness to arrange for
certification of organic food products (farm
products) through the department in the event of
its inclusion in micro level planning.

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Sri M.R. Seshagiri Rao, hon’ble Senior Civil Judge and Secretary district legal services
cell have spoken on the rich marketable
potentiality for the organic farm food products
and he was concerned about the eradication of
brokerage in marketing the organic farm food
products to enhance the profit levels of the
farmers involved in Micro Planning Mr. Justice
was interested to know whether such a joint
workshop could be organized in remote villages
in the district on the topic of planning for a
dispute resolution & youth sensitization for not being attracted towards extremism
inwhich case he has expressed his readiness to participate actively in such workshops.
Madam Sudha Rani, Advocate of Srikakulam has welcomed the concept of Micro
Planning with organic farming in the district and expressed her part of readiness for
propagating the marketing of organic farm food products in the district. She has also
made an appeal to the women audience of SHG groups for not hesitating to bring the
cases of women victims to her notice for redressal within the family court. She stressed
the need for empowerment of women to know about their legitimate rights.

Sri Manmadha Rao, Advocate of Srikakulam has made an appeal to the audience for
redressal of their grievances in the district consumer’s forum in the relevant cases for
which he expressed his readiness to represent on their behalf.

They have distributed brochures on consumer awareness and dispute resolution as apart
of their social/legal service activities.

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Sri K. Venugopal, State Secretary, A.P working journalist’s federation and President,
District press club of Srikakulam, felt that the
NPM projects be included in Micro Planning
and are to be executed by committed NGO
organizations like GRES, India. He has
promised vide coverage at every level of the
progress of Micro Planning Schemes in
Srikakulam and surrounding districts for a
viable propagation with in and out of the state
also.

Group discussions & clarifications:

The participant NGO, SHG, NPM and other farmer groups have split into six groups and
participated in group discussions among them on the topic of Micro Planning for organic
farming its modalities and probable villages in their respective areas to take up the
scheme. They could tentatively list out ten cluster villages in Srikakulam district for this
purpose for a viable organization of the scheme with various functionaries.
Their queries on technical side on organic farming have all been well clarified by Dr.
Jamuna and Dr. Anil Kumar and its implementation side by the Project Officer, Micro
Planning, NCRI, Sri R.S. Ramarao. At the end of the clarifications they have composed a
folk song on the subject and sung during the workshop by all the participant ladies and
gents for 5 minutes bringing out therein the bad effects of inorganic farming and its
remedy with organic farming.

Sri R.S. Ramarao, Project Officer, Micro Planning

Unit, NCRI released a brochure on “Easy systems
in preparation of composts”, published by the
Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University,
conveyed through Dr. Jamuna Rani, Scientist
KVK, Amudalavalasa.

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Dr. Ramesh Babu, Director, GRES, India thanked all the participants by proposing the
vote of thanks concluding the one day workshop on the topic.
Broad outcome of the workshop:
1. The importance of Micro Planning in rural areas has been well understood by the
target groups.
2. The NGO, SHG and NPM group participant members have been well convinced on
the concept, and could in fact tentatively suggest the group of villages for this project
from their respective areas.
3.The government functionaries also have expressed their readiness to participate in
their respective roles at the time of formulation of the plan at its threshold. The need
for further conduction of such joint workshops on other subjects like youth
sensitization and dispute resolution by NCRI and NGO organizations along with
government functionaries in remote villages in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Vizag
districts has been suggested by the hon’ble judicial authorities to keep the youth away
from extremism and family disputes especially in agency areas.

*Thanks*
GRES-INDIA, Srikakulam .

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