Farmers Groups Learn from Each Other
Klatswer is a hard-working farmer whose 14-member family depends entirely on his farm for food and income. The vegetables and grains he cultivated didn’t meet their needs because he didn’t have the know-how or the financial means to expand his operations.
That was before he got involved with local partner NEICORD.
This final year of the program’s second phase involves 938 households and focuses more strongly on advocacy and markets as ways to bolster food security. It emphasizes Self-Help or Farmers Groups and linking participants with various government institutions to advocate for their rights.
In 2015 when the program got started in his area, Klatswer attended several training events offered by NEICORD. He joined a Farmers Group, too, and has used what he has learned from his peers to improve the way he farms. A total of 673 farmers have enrolled in these groups, which meet monthly and often organize exchange visits. Farm-to-farm events help farmers learn good practices from each other, and give them opportunities to discuss how to overcome challenges. They also share time-tested indigenous practices like using locally-available neem leaves for pest control.
Among the new techniques Klatswer has wholeheartedly adopted are composting and SALT (Sloping Agricultural Land Technology). On his formerly challenging sloping land he is now cultivating banana, pineapple and various vegetables to bring in additional income. He is planning to expand his operations by planting ginger in his SALT field. The program has linked him and his Farmers Group to the government Horticulture Department where they can purchase high-quality seeds.
He has also motivated other farmers from his village to follow in his footsteps so they, too, will be able to produce sufficient vegetables and fruits for their needs. He hopes that in the future they will be able to work together to market their produce through the local Federation instead of through middlemen. The Federation consists of members from the Self-Help and Farmers Groups and, as a registered entity, has greater access to government benefits and services. Klatswer believes this way they can offer better prices and higher-quality products to the consumer.
India Umsning Program
Led by World Renew and Local Partner NEICORD