Background: The livelihoods of the people in Chinnahagari and Upparahalla are closely linked to the biomass - food, fodder and fuel - produced in the two watershed areas. While fuel supply is not considered a major issue, and no definite conclusions can be drawn about the demands and supply of food, fodder shortage is a problem that is felt by all household types in the study villages. Increasing trends in both human and animal population are keeping up the demand for food, fuel and fodder.

Objectives:

To identify niches for enhancing biomass production in various farming systems and for different types of farming households and, assess their potential contribution to sustainable agriculture and livelihood improvement.
To identify research, developmental, institutional and, policy options for enhancing biomass production.

Outputs: The team found out that under the KAWAD project, different interventions are in place to enhance the biomass production in the watersheds. Though these account for the major proportion of the total expenditure incurred for enhancing biomass under the project, their reach appears to be relatively small. Considering the project withdrawal in 2005, the team sees an urgent need to scale up these efforts; which would be possible if the various agencies operating in the watersheds share a common vision for agricultural development. The team sees an equally urgent need to establish or strengthen linkages between the peoples’ institutions and the government line departments and research institutes.

Team Members:
Name Nationality Institute Discipline
Franklin Avornyo Ghana Animal Res. Inst (ARI) Animal Science
Fayga Ballal Sudan University (UST) Agric. economics
Rikiatu Husseini Ghana University (UDS) Agroforestry
Ashwin Mysore (CP) India AME Foundation Agronomy
Shaila Nabi Bangladesh PETRRA Programme Plant breeding
Ana Luisa Posas G. Honduras Canadian Cooperation Rural sociology

Reviewer: Dr Ranjitha Puskur (India), ICRA consultant and alumna

ABSTRACT

This documents reports the results of a field study conducted in the Chinnahagari and Upparahalla watersheds in Karnataka state of India, with the objective of identifying the opportunities for and constraints in efforts for enhancing biomass production. The Agricultural Research for Development (ARD) procedure which is a process of integrating different perspectives of stakeholders was used for planning strategies to combat low biomass problem.

The livelihoods of the people in Chinnahagari and Upparahalla are closely linked to the biomass – food, fodder and fuel – produced in the two watershed areas. There is an overt dependence on the groundnut based crop system in the area. This cropping system is a major contributor to the provision of food and fodder requirements of the people. While fuel supply is not considered a major issue, and no definite conclusions could be drawn about the demands and supply of food, fodder shortage is a problem that is felt by all household types in the study villages. Increasing trends in both human and animal population are keeping up the demand for food, fuel and fodder. The current biomass requirements of the people are being met through the production on private lands and the common / wastelands in and around the villages.

Under the KAWAD project, different interventions are in place to enhance the biomass production in the watersheds. These range from those aimed at enhancing crop production, soil fertility and fodder to those like horticulture promotion and plantation on bunds which are encouraging more vegetation on both private and common lands. The interventions which are promoted where irrigation is available, like horticulture promotion or nursery raising enjoy a greater degree of success. Though these account for the major proportion of the total expenditure incurred for enhancing biomass under the project, their reach appears to be relatively small. Considering that the intra and inter annual variations in the rainfall hamper many of the interventions aimed at promoting vegetation on both private and common lands, on - farm enhancement of the biomass during the cropping season – through crop improvement and increased crop production – and, promotion of the efforts aimed at enhancing soil fertility, all of which would substantially contribute to the agricultural development, could be more feasible and relevant in reaching out to the majority in the watershed areas. Considering the project withdrawal in 2005, there is an urgent need to scale up these efforts; which would be possible if the various agencies operating in the watersheds share a common vision for agricultural development. There is an equally urgent need to establish or strengthen linkages between the peoples’ institutions and the government line departments and research institutes.

Interventions planned on common land are important, especially for the disadvantaged sections in the village like the landless and, the small and marginal farmers. But the whole initiative has to be thought through thoroughly with the community before the implementation begins.

KEY WORDS: India, biomass production, eco-systems management, poverty reduction, watershed management

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