RID POVERTY & HUNGER IN 50 INDIAN TRIBAL VILLAGES

Organic Farming Outreach programme in Nilgiri VillagesFrom April 2015 to June 2015 

Organic Farming Outreach Programme

Agriculture has been the primary source of income for the majority of families in rural areas of Nilgiris.Unsuitable land management, use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has led to the deterioration of the soil and the production of unhealthy food. Hence there is an urgent need for introducing the alternative sustainable agricultural techniques in Nilgiris. The EARTH TRUST acknowledges need of organic agriculture   and environmental issues as crucial to the promotion of sustainable livelihoods, peace and development and, in breaking the effects of the vicious circle of unemployment, poverty and migration in the Nilgiris. The Earth trust mobilizes and facilitates collaboration among various partners especially in organic farmers development. It develops concepts and implements programmes with approaches and methodologies that enable its audience to identify problems, set priority, and address needs assessments.

The Earth Trust has been a key player in working towards alleviating the ravages of years of chemical abuse on the soil of the Nilgiri Hills. It has spent a good decade in this tireless effort. As part of its vision to restore the soil it continues its farming outreach with renewed vigour and improved strategy that permeats to one cluster of villages under the same watershed area so that focus is not lost.In the last quarter, the farming outreach to create awarness about organic farming through talks, visual aids and interaction has reached about 500 farmers from which  10 key farmers were chosen for further hands on training in the months to come. Setting up of an organic training centre for each village is on the cards.

OUR AIMS

• To upgrade the skills and methodologies of organic farming system among rural farming communitis.
• To facilitate farming community to harness optimum yield from organic agriculture sector.
• To facilitate a concept of environmental citizenship among the Nilgiris farmers, through the integration of knowledge, sense of responsibility and successful action to mitigate chemical farming
• To reinforce and reward existing environmentally friendly lifestyles among youth, thereby delaying or reducing the chemicals and pesticides.
• To integrate the Nilgiris farmers  efforts into the global effort to gain global recognition and support impact

• To reinforce and reward existing environmentally friendly lifestyles among youth, thereby delaying or reducing the chemicals and pesticides.
• To integrate the Nilgiris farmers  efforts into the global effort to gain global recognition and support impact

Awareness Programme was conducted in the following villages

S.No

Village

No. of Participants

1

Ottimora Hosahatty

47

2

Porthy

39

3

Puduhatty

30

4

Mel Appukodu

58

5

Bygamandu

40

6

Melodayaratty

37

7

Godalatty

30

8

Kilkowhatty

33

9

Muttinad

26

10

Muthugula

49

11

B.Manihatty

15

12

Bickol

41

13

Soraigundu

43

14

Gudalur

58

Total

546 Farmers

Awareness Activities

1. Introduction about our organization
2. PPT on Earth Trust  activities
3. Video show on Slow poisoning of India
4. Discussion with farmers about organic agriculture and its importance.
5. Explanation about the farming outreach program.
6. Discussion and explanation about the organic training centre (OTC) in future.

Organic Farming Awareness Programme in GUDALUR Area

The following farmers were monitored for soundness of organic practices in the Gudalur the warmer area of the Nilgiris on their land ranging from 20 cents to 6 acres. These farmers sell their produce through Biogain, The Earth Trust’s marketing outlet.

S. No.

FARMER NAME

PLACE

LAND AREA

1

Selvarathnam

Aruthuparai

3.8ac

2

Thirusenthuran

Selakunnai

4 ac

(Tea 3.5-0.5 veg)

3

Chandran

Selakunnai

30 cent Tea

4

Ramesh kumar

Selakunnai

60 cent tea

50 cent veg

5

R.vijayakumar

Selakunnai

3.5 ac

1.5 ac empty land

6

Sri Gowtham

Thaithamattam

70 cent

7

A.Raghukumar

Thaithamattam

3ac

1.5 banana

8

Ravichandran

Thaithamattam

2ac

50 cent banana

9

Madhusudhan

Thaithamattam

2 ac

10

Udhayan

Ponvail

6 ac

ORGANIC MARKETING

We have set up an innovative marketing system which gives a stable price (decided with the farmer) for his vegetables.  It is based on an average of the widely fluctuating price of chemical vegetables plus 10%.

Vision

It was planned to support the sales of vegetable until such time as enough vegetables to were grown to cover the cost of marketing & make a small profit.

At that point Biogain would take over the marketing coat & give over the small management & training contribution to ET.

It was intended that ET would act as farm gate sales point that vegetables would be sent directly to customer by passing middle man.

Vegetable marketing from 47 farmers through our BiOGAiN (Bio dynamic Organic growers association) market by our  farmers and from our model farms.

The impact that Earth Trust has is more qualitative that it is quantitative and we strive for greater reach. This we will achieve with generous support from Global Giving.

The Earth Trust, Hema Cottage, Bharathinagar, Ketti Post, Nilgiris 643215 TN

Website: www.earthtrustnilgiris.org; email: earthtrust @gmail.com; Tel.:+914232517036

• Organic Farming Outreach programme in Nilgiri Vill (DOC)