Western Producer reporter Mary MacArthur is criss-crossing India to put into context the noise, the smells and the human faces that make up the country, which is on a path to becoming one of western Canadian farmers’ best customers. In the weeks ahead, her stories will explore issues facing India’s agricultural sector and how Canada can find its place in what is one of the fastest growing markets in the world.
GWALIOR, India – There are plenty of problems plaguing Indian agriculture, but scientists are hoping a series of agriculture extension centres will help farmers adopt better farming methods.
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Across India, governments and agriculture universities have established 569 of what are called KVK sites to encourage farmers to choose better varieties of crops and learn new production techniques. In the past four years, the number of KVKs has doubled to ensure all farmers have access to the extension centres.
At Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Agricultural University in Gwalior, horticulture scientist K.V. Singh uses his KVK site to demonstrate the use of raised beds for vegetable seedling production.
In his northern state of Madhya Pradesh, rain is sporadic but heavy when it comes. By sowing the seeds in the raised beds, farmers can protect their crops from heavy rains that often rot the young seedlings. At this plot, Singh believes a one by seven metre raised bed is the ideal size to allow farmers to plant and weed the young seeds before transplanting them to a larger raised bed.
“It’s the perfect way of saving seedlings from the rain.”
It’s in these KVKs that Singh compares the older flower and vegetable varieties along side the newer varieties to allow farmers to visually compare varieties.
“The mandate of the KVK is to show how to increase production using different techniques.”
Singh also shows farmers the triangle method of transplanting eggplants or other seedlings, leaving 30 centimetres of room between each plant seeded in a triangle for optimum growth.
Farmers believe that leaving so much space between plants is a waste of space, but through the demonstration sites, he convinces them they will get more production if the plant has more room for growth.
Each week, farmers come to the KVK sites to see the plants progress.
“They want to know what we are doing and how we are doing it. We want to provide them with the knowledge through extension,” said Singh.
By visiting the extension site, he hopes the early adopters will implement the recommended changes and their neighbours will follow.
“Among progressive farmers, this method is adopted and being practised.”
Also at the university is a propagation centre, to provide farmers with fruit trees that are true to type.
Each year, farmers face heavy losses when the fruit trees are not true to type. In between his fruit tree trials, Singh demonstrates intercropping techniques using other fruits and vegetables to help farmers earn more money.
“I want to help farmers earn maximum money from a single plot.”
During the interview, a farmer arrived at the KVK site to buy vegetable seedlings for his farm.
Through an interpreter, he said the quality of seedlings bought at the centre is better than he can buy elsewhere. His family has also adopted the raised bed system of growing plants.
It’s not only crop production featured at the KVK. Better livestock production is also encouraged.
G.R. Bansal, a veterinarian and researcher at the university, has a similar extension program in place. Through the dairy KVK, he is trying to demonstrate the benefits of breeding the “non-descript” local cows with semen from exotic bulls to increase milk production.
The exotic bloodlines include Holstein Friesian, Jersey and Brown Swiss.
Bansal said he tries to teach farmers better management techniques for both cattle and buffalo in an attempt to improve production.
“We want to motivate the farmer to implement better farming situations so that the animals feel better and that also helps increase milk production.”
R.A. Khan, the retired director of extension at the university, said while he believes the KVKs are a good way to introduce new cropping techniques to farmers, there is a long way to go to increase production and increase farm income.
“It has helped a lot and there still is a lot of training needed to be done,” he said.
Uneducated farmers are sometimes reluctant to adopt new cropping methods but he has high hopes for the visual role of the KVKs.
“The awareness among farmers has increased a lot. Now they are coming here.”
