The activities carried out for the Famers are as follows:
METHOD/BLOCK/PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONS:
To demonstrate and educate the farmers on the scientific practices, method/block demonstration are organized on the fields of the farmers. RCF’s field staff or an expert extend technical information on various subjects like application of fertilizers on the basis of soil testing recommendations, agronomic practices for important crops etc.
“Seeing is believing” is indeed the best way to display the use of appropriate practices by using demonstrations on the farmers’ fields.
The objectives of the method/product demonstrations include:
Increasing overall fertilizer consumption and its efficient use by promoting soil testing and general recommendations of the fertilizers along with improved agricultural practices for increasing crop productions.
To find out the response for various crops under different agro-climatic conditions of various products.
To create nucleus centers in the villages for implementing various activities on fertilizer promotion and get the feed back from the farmers about the fertilizer products and services of the company.
For Method/Product/Block demonstrations, the Company provides the required fertilizers at highly subsidized rates to the farmers and technical knowhow of the appropriate agronomic practices. This activity has been carried out by RCF since last 30 years and RCF is a pioneer in establishing the use of NPK(Complex fertilizer) in the states of Maharashtra,Gujrat,Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and West Bengal.
During last five years alone RCF has conducted more than 2000 demonstrations.
of Method/Block/Product Demonstrations
Krishi Mela: Krishi melas are organized in the areas where major and cash crops are cultivated. These melas are organized jointly with the government agencies like Zilla parishad, Agriculture department,Sugar factories, Agricultural universities etc. Exhibition set is displayed at the venue to disseminate the complete information about company’s products and different practices to be followed in various crops.
Crash Programmes: These programmes are carried out before the commencement of each season. It covers film shows, distribution of literature, sticking of posters and stickers, farmers meeting, wall painting etc. Duration of such programme is seven to fifteen days. These programmes are carried out with the help of RCF field staff, agricultural officers from department of Agriculture and scientists of the agricultural universities. The services of the mobile soil testing van are also rendered for on the spot soil sample analysis.
The main objective is to disseminate the latest advanced agricultural technology to the farming community. The complete information about the balanced use of fertilizers on the basis of recommendations of the agricultural universities is provided to the farmers during these programmes.
Crop Seminars: RCF and Agro-won (Sakal group of papers) have teamed up to organize a series of seminars on the different agro-horticultural subjects.
RCF and Agro-Won have organized 5 seminars at Pune and 1 at Nasik on “Cultivation of Vegetable crops in Green House” during the year 2006-07.
These seminars are conducted with focus on particular crop, thus only those farmers who are interested in the subject only attended the seminar. Moreover, a participation fees of Rs.250 to 350/- is being charged from the farmers. On an average a farmer spends about Rs.2000/- to attend this seminar and hence, this makes these seminars unique and most cost effective in the country.
Around 2400 farmers have been benefited from these high-tech training programmes. Agro-Won and Sakal group of papers had given wide publicity to these programmes through their newspapers throughout the state.
The details about this seminars are as follows :-
1. The series of seminars started with important topic of “Commercial cultivation of Vegetables in Polyhouse”. The seminar covered topics right from construction of polyhouse to marketing of polyhouse vegetables. Eminent speakers guided the participants on various varieties of vegetables those could be commercially viable in polyhouse, fertilizer and irrigation management as well as disease and pest control. Most important topic was the post harvest management of the polyhouse vegetables, as we all are aware that lots of our fresh produce gets wasted because of poor handling and insufficient post harvest care. Various schemes of Agricultural department of Govt. of Maharashtra were made known to the participants. Successful farmers shared their experiences with the participants, which generated tremendous response. The participants asked various questions which were answered to their satisfaction by the entire faculty. More than 300 participants from all over Maharashtra attended the seminar.
2. This seminar was repeated in Nashik, on the request of farmers in Nashik.
3. The third seminar was on “Commercial cultivation of Flowers in Polyhouse”. The topics covered were Types of Green houses, introduction, and construction of Green houses, Types of flowers cultivated in Green House e.g. Roses, Gerbera, Carnation, Orchids, Anthurium, Cultivation methods depending on crop, Fertilizer & Irrigation Mgt, Pest and disease control, Post Harvest Technology, Experience Sharing, Schemes by Govt. of Maharashtra. Faculty included renowned professors from Agriculture College, Pune, National Research Centre, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Horticultural Training Centre, representatives from companies, representatives from agricultural department of Govt. of Maharashtra, and most importantly successful farmers – who shared their experiences. Farmers, agricultural college students, consultants, company representatives from all over Maharashtra attended the seminar. The number of women was noticeable.
4. We all are aware about the situations of farmers and to survive and manage the farming profitably, farmers have to have some allied businesses. The well-known example is of western Maharashtra farmers who are doing well because of the dairy business. Agro won and RCF conducted a seminar on the theme of providing allied businesses to farmers, which was on “Agro-tourism”. Topics of the seminar included : Introduction to the concept of Agro tourism, Present status and future prospects of agro tourism, Importance of agro tourism, Essential pre-requisites for starting agro tourism, Types of Agro – tourism, Agro – tourism – as a value addition to agriculture / allied business, Guidelines for efficient Management of agro tourism centers, Legal requirements for Agro tourism, Experience sharing of farmers who have developed the agro tourism in their farms, Assistance schemes for development of agro tourism centers / spots. The participants included Farmers, NGO representative, Agriculture Dept representative, consultants in the field, etc. The seminar was well appreciated by the participants, which was evident from the interactive session conducted at the end of the seminar.
5. Success of the well-managed and profitable horticultural, floricultural project starts with getting good quality saplings. Farmers are always in search of a good nursery. Nursery as a business is also a good option for the farmers and youth in the villages and even the urban areas. Agro won and RCF could judge this need and conducted a full day seminar of “Nursery Management”. In this seminar eminent faculty guided the participants on various important aspects of nursery business. The topics included Nursery Construction – Types of Nursery and plants, Plant propagation & propagation media, Nursery Plant Disease & their control measures, Irrigation Management & Fertilizer Management, Nursery Development & Maintenance, Nursery Economics, Govt. Schemes for Nursery Business, etc. The most interesting topic was of Marketing of Nursery Plants. Successful nurserymen and farmers, who shared their experiences with the participants, covered this topic.
6. One more important seminar was on “Pomegranate: Production, Processing and Exports”. Pomegranate is one of the important crops as many parts of Maharashtra are dry land areas. Horticultural crops like Pomegranate give an effective choice to the farmers. Area covered under pomegranate in Maharashtra is increasing day by day. At the same time the crop is facing problems because of diseases like wilt and oily spots. If care is taken properly, pomegranate can prove to be a beneficial crop, even for processing and exports, also. Considering this situation, Agro won and RCF thought it appropriate to organize a seminar on this subject. The topics for guidance included Pomegranate – Plantation and Management, Integrated Pest Management, Integrated Disease Management, Increase in Production through Irrigation and fertilizer management, Processing Techniques, Export Opportunities, and Schemes from Government. Successful pomegranate farmers shared their experiences. The seminar was well attended by more than 320 farmers from all over the State of Maharashtra and adjoining districts of Karnataka.
Crop Competitions: Are organized with the help of gram panchayat at key village/block/district, jointly with agricultural department of the state and agricultural universities, Zilla parishad etc. Prizes to the winners are given in the form of RCF products. This activity gives enormous encouragement to the farmers for adopting scientific procedures of farming and thus, leads to higher productivity.
Construction of Suphala and Ujjwala Setu-Two Footover Bridge at Pandharpur
Pandharpur is a holy place in Solapur district of Maharashtra state where lacs of devotees visit every year and all these devotees are from farming community from Maharashtra and near by states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. These bridges have been built to facilitate the easy access to lord Vithoba.
Out of these two bridges one foot over bridge has been constructed at Veena lane(Pradakshinal Marg of Vithal mandir) called “Ujjwala Setu”.
The second bridge has been constructed at “Turty Darwaza”.
RCF has recently signed an MOU with Indian Tobacco Company’s E-Choupal scheme for promoting 100% water soluble fertilizer Sujala 19:19:19 through ITC hubs and its marketing net work.
Extensive training programmes were organized in the month of December,2006 for the Sanchalaks of ITC who are also farmers and opinion leaders of the villages on use of Sujala 19:19:19 foliar grade on Wheat and Green gram crops grown in Vidarbha, Marathwada and western Maharashtra region. The training on use of Sujala was followed by demonstrations of Sujala Foliar on the farmers fields.
Training programmes were organized at Amravati, Latur, Parbhani, Nanded and Srirampur of Ahemadnagar district of Maharashtra state. Around 505 farmers have been benefited from these training programmes.
RCF and ITC E-Choupal have taken up 150 demonstration in 145 Choupal pradarshan Khet in different blocks and village in Maharshtra state
RCF and ITC E-Choupal is in the process of organizing this kind of training and demonstrations in other areas of different agro-horticultural subject matters like Fruit and Vegetable cultivation in near future.