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World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 5
Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project
Harvests of Change
World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 4
Uttar Pradesh
Districts covered under UPDASP
MAP NOT TO SCALE
World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 5
1 DASP began before the new state of Uttaranchal was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in November 2000; this report focuses on UP.
2 Cropping intensity refers to the ratio of gross cropped area to net sown area.
3 All impact indicators are taken from an independent evaluation conducted by the Agriculture Management Centre of the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, and use 1998-99 as baseline.
Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project
Four indicators dramatically tell the story of change in 6,178 DASP villages over the project’s six-year life:
● Cropping intensity climbed from 169% in 1998-99 to 203% in 2002-03 2
● Crop productivity increased by 10% ● Cultivation of non-grain crops rose from 26%
of gross cropped area to 31% ● Number of farmers using organic manure
went from 13% to 44%3.
Harvests of Change
Right: Bountiful harvests have shown farmers the benefits of new farming techniques developed under DASP
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It’s being called the second Green Revolution. All across Uttar Pradesh (UP), the most populous and third poorest Indian state, small pockets of prosperity are evolving, where farmers are adopting new techniques and earning rich dividends.
These are the 157 blocks included in the recently completed Diversified Agricultural Support Project (DASP), a US$145 million World Bank- supported program to increase agricultural productivity in Uttar Pradesh.1
World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 4
technological extension and other agricultural
services were handled by government bodies
(departments of agriculture, animal husbandry,
horticulture etc.) that focused more on annual
targets and budgets than farmers’ needs.
According to Rita Sharma, Principal Secretary
of Finance in the UP government and one of
DASP’s earliest associates, “We needed to
increase agricultural productivity and
employment generation, as well as upgrade our
delivery mechanisms to make them more
participative.”
Why was DASP Needed?
In the last half of the 1990s, UP was a state
plagued by widespread poverty and a high
dependence on agriculture. More than two-thirds
of its people lived in villages and depended on
agriculture for their livelihood. But the
agricultural sector was burdened by population
pressure (even today one-sixth of India’s 1.03
billion live in UP) and declining soil fertility.
The Green Revolution that had fired the growth of
neighboring north-Indian states like Punjab and
Haryana had only reached the western part of UP.
Families in the rest of the state were increasingly
falling beneath the poverty line. While the poverty
index for the rest of India was 35%, it was nearly
40% for UP.
Agriculture was hostage to unsustainable
practices like intensive crop production and over-
dependence on high-volume, low-value cereal
crops. Further, most delivery mechanisms for
Above: Women were targeted especially in the awareness- generation programs
Left: Most technology interventions made under DASP were simple and indigenous, like fixing stakes in tomato fields for getting optimal yields.
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World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 5
Major Project Interventions
Agriculture
Integrated Pest Management
Integrated Plant Nutrient Management
Introduction of Bio Dynamic
Technology (organic farming)
Truthful Seed Production
Horticulture
Area expansion (a shift from
traditional agriculture)
Post Harvest Management
Animal Husbandry
Para-veterinary Services
Development Program
Conservation and Development of
Indigenous Milch Cattle Breeds.
Dairy Development
Public Health Awareness
Clean Milk Production Program
Promotion of Participatory Approach
Community Participation through
Farmer Self-Help-Groups
Creation of Rural Infrastructure
Construction of Rural Roads
Upgradation of Rural Markets
Technology Development
Thus, DASP was designed to support the UP
government’s attempts to accelerate diversified
agricultural growth. It focused on:
● Improving the quality and relevance
of agricultural technology
● Disseminating demand-driven technology
● Encouraging private sector participation,
particularly in the farming community
● Expanding rural infrastructure, especially
farm-to-market link roads and village
marketplaces (haats)
“DASP basically remodeled practices that were
put in place when food production was the only
goal and the public sector was the only player in
service delivery,” says Deepak Ahluwalia, World
Bank task leader for DASP.
DASP had a profound effect because it used a
broad and integrated farming approach that
involved agriculture, horticulture, dairy and
animal husbandry. Moreover, it aimed to affect
the entire farm cycle, from the availability of
materials and technologies to agronomical
practices, productivity, post-harvest activities,
agro-processing, credit, and basic rural
infrastructure. In all areas, interventions were
demand-driven and need-based. To achieve these
ends, the project connected with the UP line
departments and coordinated efforts with local
NGOs and farm communities.
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World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 4
Diversification and Intensification
The strategy – devised under district-level
Strategic Research and Extension Plans (SREPs)
– was to raise agriculture productivity by helping
farmers diversify their crops and increase their
awareness of new technologies. To encourage a
shift from the traditional paddy-wheat cycle, more
remunerative horticultural crops were identified
for each area based on the local agro-eco profile,
as well as market demand. Interested farmers
were then given cultivation demonstrations as
well as help in how to acquire supplies.
Thus, according to an independent evaluation
done by the Indian Institute of Management
(IIM), Lucknow, cereals in the DASP plots
dropped from 67.2% of the total cropping area in
1988-89 to 55.3% in 2002-2003, while the land used
for horticulture rose from 13.5% in 1988-89 to
16.4% in 2002-2003. The net expansion of land
under horticulture was 110,000 ha.
Farmers were encouraged to move away from staple cereal crops to flowers, (below left) vegetables and fruits (below)
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Impact on Agriculture
Indicators Baseline Final impact Percentage change (1998-99) (2002-2003) over base
Impact on Horticulture
Indicators Baseline Final impact Percentage change (1998-99) (2002-2003) over base
DASP NON DASP NON DASP DASP
Cropping Intensity (%) 169 203 196 20.1 16.0
Distribution of Area (% of GCA)
Cereals 67.2 55.3 60.1 -17.7 -10.6
Pulses 7.1 13.7 10.4 93.0 46.5
Oilseeds 3.9 3.9 3.6 0.0 -7.7
Total non-food 26 31 29.6 19.2 13.8 grains area
DASP NON DASP NON DASP DASP
Distribution of Area (% of GCA)
Total area of 13.5 16.4 11.8 21.5 -14.1 horticulture
World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 5
The area of western UP, known as the sugarbowl
of the North due to the widespread production
of sugarcane (a water-intensive crop with a long
growing cycle), best illustrates how DASP
promoted diversification: Thousands of hectares,
where only cane was grown, are now producing
assorted vegetables, fruits and flowers (onions
and okra, gladioli and the whole gourd family,
tomatoes and strawberries and even orchards
of the exotic locquat). And, as the lines of cane-
laden bullock-carts outside sugar factories have
shortened, those of trucks heading for the
subzi mandis (wholesale vegetable markets)
have grown.
Similarly, in Baghpat district, 65% of the 107,000
hectares irrigated cropland was once devoted
solely to cane. “Through DASP, we’ve managed to
wean 10,000 hectares away from cane and another
14,500 are inter-cropped with onions, cucurbits
and marigolds,” says district project coordinator,
C P Singh.
Where diversification was not called for, yields
were increased through intensive farming
techniques: Farmers were trained to use balanced
fertilizers based on scientific soil testing and
substitute bio-pesticides in place of chemicals.4
Also, they were encouraged to take up high-yielding
seed varieties and organic manure (like cow pat
pits and vermiculture).
The program was incredibly successful. In the DASP
area, not only did production costs drop, but crop
yields rose: Based on the IIM study, productivity of
the two staples, wheat and paddy, increased by 10%
and 27%, respectively.
A similar model was followed to improve
productivity in animal husbandry: It focused on
improving breeds through artificial insemination
and regular vaccinations, and ensuring quality feed
and hygienic milk production to reduce milk spoilage.
Right: Maize is traditionally grown only twice a year, but DASP interventions ensured an extra maize crop in the kharif season.
Right: Farmers were introduced to hybrid varieties and better sowing techniques which resulted in higher yields
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4 These practices were based on the principles of Integrated Plant Nutrition Management and Integrated Pest Management respectively.
World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 4
Taking Technology from Lab to Land
A DASP principle was to shift basic research to
that which was applied and relevant to farmers.
It forged a vital link between the lab and land
by testing new concepts/techniques on the
farms and obtaining feedback from farmers’
groups. As a result, 181 homegrown
technologies emerged, of which 42 were sent to
the line departments for further dissemination.
New methods were developed to restore mango
trees and promote machan cultivation for
cucurbits. IPM modules for 32 crops were also
developed, including pheromone traps and
trichograma cards. The genetic base of many
fruits and vegetables was broadened, but the
impact on productivity will depend on the link
with commercial seed growers.
DASP also helped create a competitive
agricultural research program (CARP) to
improve the quality/relevance of research:
It financed 44 programs that addressed
production and processing constraints that
were hampering UP agriculture.
Pheromone traps were among the basic pest-control devices promoted by DASP in its bid to reduce the use of chemical pesticides.
Seedlings were traditionally raised in open fields or beds which meant that many tiny plants were lost to the vagaries of weather, or to attacks by pests, fungi and birds. DASP popularized the use of low, poly-tunnel nurseries, where seedlings could be raised in controlled conditions. These seedlings are ready for transplantation quicker, allowing farmers to reap their crops early and thus earn better prices.
A wheat field sown using the zero-tillage method advocated by DASP. Unlike the traditional sowing method that required repeated ploughing of the field, the zero tillage machine is run just once to make the small furrows in which seeds are then dropped.
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World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 5
A field of pea planted on raised beds to ensure there is no water-logging.
The zero-energy cooling chamber is an indigenous device developed under DASP to keep harvested fruits and vegetables fresh. It is a simple brick-and-sand structure cooled by piped water and can be constructed by the farmer himself.
The use and production of vermicompost was an especially successful component of DASP. Here, Darshana Sharma of Mitli village in Baghpat district is seen with her vermicompost machine which has more than trebled her household income.
DASP workers also propagated this simple technique of rejuvenating ageing mango trees by thinning them out and then treating the cut limbs with a mixture of copper, lime and water.
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World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 4
Farmer-Led Extension
The UP extension system, as elsewhere in India,
was run by government departments that did not
focus on clients’ needs. Thus, DASP aimed to
create a demand-driven system that involved the
community. By treating farmers not only as
intended beneficiaries but also as crucial
instruments, DASP formed about 18,000 self-help
groups, with a membership of over 200,000
farmers.
Farmers with common interests (say, dairy,
horticulture, seed production or a particular crop)
were encouraged to form groups. While the groups
began as savings-and-loans societies (each
contributed savings on a regular basis), they
became important avenues for disseminating
information on new technologies. In Western UP,
several crop-specific groups were formed: In Mavi
Kalan village, the subject of onions brought nearly
100 farmers together; in Pali, it was radishes, in
Daula, fenugreek and in Johri, cauliflower. In all
groups, farmers shared information on their
problems and priorities.
Responding to the farmers’ needs, the line
departments and NGOs secured the technology
and inputs, and demonstrated how to apply them.
Also, the DASP team helped to (a) procure new
high-yielding seeds, (b) create nurseries for early
sowing and (c) develop marketing practices that
would bring higher returns. In turn, these farmers
trained others. In all, 17,906 groups were formed,
of which 6,247 were women’s groups.
● Total savings for the groups: Rs 184.6 million
● 80% of the groups engaged in income-
generating activities
● 8,504 groups accessed credit from
commercial banks
The farmer groups forged under DASP were provided links with banks as well as livelihood training to enable them to set up little micro- enterprises like mushroom farms (above left), bakeries (above right) and small pickling units (left).
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World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 5
In Ramrajya Krishi Vidyalaya in Baghpat’s Daula
village, the master-trainer, Sripal Singh, explains
how the school serves 72 farmers by testing their
soil and teaching them how to build eco-friendly,
zero-energy cooling chambers, and using the IPM
techniques best suited to their crops. Also, the
schools help the line departments organize field
demonstrations and test technology on-farms.
Aware that schools offer opportunities to contact
farmers, two leading corporations, ITC and ICICI
Bank, have started using them as e-chaupals, the
electronic incarnation of the traditional chaupal
or village gathering place. These IT-connected
kiosks offer farmers various services, such as
credit, supplies and markets. However, the
schools are new, and their interaction with public
institutions that disseminate technology and
provide agriculture extension needs to be
institutionalized; only then will the pilot system
achieve its full potential.
Left: Women self-help groups were among the most active and the most productive saving societies.
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Farmer Field Schools
Technology was also disseminated through 175
farmer field schools that were self-managed and
funded (with DASP support limited to training);
the schools served as one-stop resource centers
for the skills, technologies and inputs developed
under the project.
World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 4
Participatory Approach through ATMAs
At the heart of DASP lies the principle of
community participation in planning, managing
and monitoring development. Thus, field-level
project intervention strategies evolved from
village action plans that were based on farmers’
priorities and suggestions. These were moved to
the district-level Agriculture Technology
Management Agency (ATMA), which coordinated
the plans from across the district, to create an
annual extension strategy.
The ATMA, conceived as a registered body of
district stakeholders involved in agriculture, has
been a meaningful experiment in decentralizing
extension services. It is composed of farmer and
NGO representatives, line department officials,
with the district magistrate at its head. All project
funds (for the plans) were routed from the Project
Coordination Unit to the ATMAs, which channeled
them, as needed. Such financial autonomy made
for operational efficiency, which in turn made
decentralized, demand-driven planning a reality.
However, the ATMAs are still a nascent concept.
Left: The extension services provided by government departments, like the demonstration of paan cultivation here, was formulated after consulting the farmers and taking note of their priorities and needs.
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World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 5
To evolve into robust institutions, they must be
financially strong; this can be achieved if central
and state funds/grants for extension are routed
through them. Also, if they are to be sustained
and have an impact, they must be increasingly
farmer-driven rather than government-driven.
Cost Recovery
The conventional wisdom about cost recovery for
government-supplied agricultural inputs is that
farmers are not able to pay the full amount for
them. However, this concern contributed not only
to the financial distress of public sector line
departments, but also to their lack of client-focus.
The DASP regimen, where farmers pay for all
inputs – whether seeds, planting materials, semen
for artificial insemination, or vaccines–disproved
the concept. Indeed, farmers were willing to pay
more for services, as long as they were delivered
efficiently. Says Vinod Tyagi of Pilana village, in
Baghpat district, “Before, I paid Rs 5 for soil tests,
while today I pay Rs 30 in a private soil testing
lab. But I am happy paying the added amount
because I now get results in 10 minutes instead
of two hours. Also, I get advice on how to enrich
my soil.”
DASP showed the way to ending the system of subsidized agricultural services by insisting that all goods and services provided under the Project – be it veterinary services (above) or seeds and fertilizers (right) were given at prices that covered costs for the providers.
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World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 4
Privatization of Agricultural Services
Linked to the cost recovery scheme was a move to
gradually reduce the public sector organizations’
role in supplying inputs. To open up the sector,
DASP created a network of private individuals/
groups that could deliver services. It helped
(a) train 1,251 para-veterinarians, (b) create
1,050 private nurseries and (c) advise farmers on
how to produce 20,000 tons of truthful seed.
The para-vet program was especially successful:
These professionals performed about 7,22,000
artificial inseminations, administered 8.2 million
prophylactic vaccinations and gave primary health
care to 5,90,000 animals.
Above: Para-veterinary workers at Hisawda village in Western UP. One of DASP’s most successful interventions was the setting up and training of a cadre of para-vets, who took over some of the more basic services of the animal husbandry department, including administering vaccinations and performing artificial inseminations.
Below: The progeny of the Bhadawari breed. The conservation of indigenous breeds of cattle was one of the main planks of DASP’s animal husbandry component.
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Below: A farmer with his herd of goats
World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 5
Environmentally Sustainable Farming
The balanced use of fertilizers (based on adequate soil testing), and increased use of organic manures have not only reduced production costs and improved productivity in DASP areas, but also enhanced soil health and the quality of agri-produce. IPM techniques and awareness campaigns about banned pesticides have also significantly reduced chemical residues in crops. According to the UP Department of Agriculture, pesticide applications were cut by a fourth in DASP areas, while the use of bio-pesticides rose by 195kg per block.
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Non-Project Areas Project Areas
Organic
manure
Bio-
control
Bio-
fertilizer
Soil
test
Seed
treatment
Seed
protection
Awareness
of banned
pesticides
Adoption of Improved Practices (Agriculture) (2002-2003)
World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 4
Rural Infrastructure
The Project supported the building of rural
infrastructure that could help marketing
activities. Thus, about 2,600 kms of farm-to-market
roads were built, particularly in areas where
perishable crops were grown. Also, 103 haats and
two cattle markets were constructed and turned
over to local village bodies (gram panchayats).
Transactions in the haats rose from an average
Rs 61,000 to Rs 85,000 a day.
Says project coordinator S. P. Singh, “I am
confident the DASP method will not disappear
because people have seen the difference it has
made to their lives and will definitely continue it.”
Another factor that will promote sustainability
is that DASP did not create a separate working
structure for the project. Instead, it closely
involved seven of the UP line departments and
built their capacity to work with the new model.
As a result, not only did the government
experience more ownership of the project but
several DASP components–like the dairy hygiene
program, training of para-vets and supply of farm
inputs on a cost recovery basis–were incorporated
into the UP government state-wide programs.
“DASP was an ideal externally-aided project as it
did not create substitutes for existing structures.
Rather, it showed how things could be done more
efficiently and economically, with more
participation from the people, and in an
environmentally sustainable manner,” says
Ms Sharma.
DASP sought to buttress rural infrastructure by building farm-to- market roads (left) and upgrading rural marketplaces or haats (above).
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World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 5
In fact, many DASP components have been
replicated on a national level:
● The Government’s 2002 agricultural policy
incorporated several DASP concepts, such as
working through farmer cooperatives, the
widespread use of IPNM and IPM, and the use
of para-professionals to deliver farm inputs.
● A National Extension Reform Program being
discussed proposes replicating the ATMA
experiment in over 200 districts of the country.
● The Government’s Tenth Plan earmarked
Rs 300 million for a Clean Milk Program based
on DASP’s dairy interventions.
● NDDB, the major dairy cooperative, translated
the DASP dairy manuals into 12 languages for
nation-wide distribution.
● UP’s Panchayati Raj department will
mainstream the upgrading of rural haats along
the DASP model through a statewide program.
Although the project has officially closed, the
DASP team is anticipating the second phase and
incorporating changes to reinforce the impact.
For example, market links will need to be
strengthened. Although establishing them was
not a formal component of phase one, the last
two years saw nearly 100 MOUs (memoranda of
understanding) signed with several leading
private sector agri-business firms. Phase two,
now being developed, aims to add value to the
farmers’ market skills through training in post-
harvest activities, filling market-information gaps,
and creating structures for risk-management.
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World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 4
Below: World Bank Country Director for India, Michael Carter, meeting Project beneficiaries in Barabanki district.
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The last word belongs to Ishwar Chand Tyagi, a
farmer who attends the farmers’ field school in
Daula. His prize-winning brinjals have brought
him fame in his district and he belongs to a
farmer group that now sells organic vegetables in
the mandi at Barhaut. “Thanks to DASP, we now
sow what we didn’t, and touch heights we didn’t,”
he says proudly.
World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 5
In Kaderapur village of Jaunpur district,
tomatoes were traditionally treated with
chemical fertilizers like DAP and Urea.
Under DASP, farmers were instructed in
organic farming techniques and villagers
now use natural manure from cow pat
pits and vermiculture, reducing input
costs significantly, earning farmers
increased profits of Rs 27,500 per acre
of tomatoes.
Bhainswal village of Muzaffarnagar
district is in the sugarcane belt of western
UP. But the high cost of fertilizers and
pesticides alerted farmer Vinay Kumar
to the wisdom of switching crops. DASP
workers helped him source some high
quality green pea seed for 4 ha of his
land. When the crop was harvested, he
sold part as mature green peas for
Rs 60,000 profit, but sold the bulk as
truthful seed for Rs 2.10 lakh.
Uma Dutt Sharma of Hisawda village is
one of 68 para-vets serving the Baghpat
district. He provides local farmers a
range of basic veterinary services at their
farms and earns over Rs 7,000 a month.
Snapshots of success
In the 27 districts where the DASP was
applied, the new agriculture model
profoundly affected lives and livelihoods.
For example:
In Saharanpur, in UP’s northwest,
Mangat Ram of Dinarpur village
switched from wheat on his 0.1 ha field
to strawberries. Today, his net income
is Rs 40,000, a sum that dwarfs his
previous income of Rs 5,800.
In the Himalayan terai (foothills),
in the historically backward districts
of Bahraich and Sravasti, countless
kilometers were transformed into banana
plantations (the plants were grown
from tissue culture technology provided
under DASP). Now, farmers earn nearly
Rs 100,000 from a single acre, a
significant improvement over their
earlier earnings.
In Mitli village of Baghpat district,
Darshana Sharma was given 2 kg of free
worms under a DASP vermi-compost pilot
program that she used to start a business.
Three years later, her annual income has
grown over three times to Rs 7 lakh.
World Bank in India Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agricultural Support Project 4
India Office:
70 Lodi Estate
New Delhi 110003
Phone: (91-11) 2461 7241
Fax: (91-11) 2461 9393
Also visit the World Bank in India websites:
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