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Participatory research for agricultural development
Hassnain Shah
Muhammad Azeem Khan
The Barani Village Development Project (BVDP) has a strong adaptive research and technology transfer base. It is co-financed by the
Government of Pakistan and a loan from International Funding for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The project was started in 1999-2000 and is scheduled to run up to 2004-05. The project covers about 1.1 million ha of 6 Tehsils in the barani area in the northern
Punjab viz., Attock, Jand, Pindi Gheb, Talagang, Gujar Khan and Pind Dadan Khan. The barani area of the Punjab corresponds roughly
with the Pothwar plateau. Five of the projects Tehsils are within the Pothwar plateau and the sixth, P.D. Khan, lies south of the Salt
Range Hills and much of it is characterised by high salinity.
The applied research in project area is being conducted in collaboration with provincial, national and international research institutions
at three integrated research sites. These three sites are located in three ecological zones. One of them is Hafizabad in Tehsil Jand,
District Attock, another one is Jarmot, in Gujar Khan, District Rawalpindi and the third one is Kaslian, in Tehsil Pind Dadan Khan, District
Jhelum.
One of the most important factors for selection of integrated research sites was the presence of large number of small farmers
in the target communities who may benefit directly from the research output. Viable technological components from national institutes
have been identified and tested for wider dissemination at project sites. This project is providing the opportunity for multidisciplinary
team of scientists to work in close collaboration with each other.
The Barani Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Chakwal; Barani Livestock Production Research Institute (BLPRI), Kharimurat; Soil and
Water Conservation Research Institute (SAWCRI), Chakwal; Fodder Research Institute (FRI), Sargodha and Social Sciences Institute
(SSI), NARC are collaborating to execute integrated research agenda for different agro-ecological zones of Pothwar. Social Sciences
Institute of NARC has been entrusted the responsibility to attend the socio-economic aspects of the applied research component in the
project.
The multidisciplinary programmes are going on at three target sites in Barani Pothwar for the last two years. Technology development
and validation processes are followed to address agricultural productivity issues. The project remained working under severe drought
situation since its inception. Much emphasis has been put to scrutinise appropriate germplasm of major and minor crops that can
survive under erratic rainfall conditions.
The main aims of technology assessment at different stages of its development are to provide an assessment of farmers' priorities,
decision criteria, resource availability, constraints and possible development opportunities. The field trials are conducted on
participatory principles, which provide farmers' views, their acceptance of the intervention and information on the compatibility of the
intervention within the farming systems and an opportunity to further fine tune the approved technology.
Participatory development approach creates sense of ownership and enhances awareness among the farming community. Consequently, adoption rate of
technology remains high. A team of social scientists carried out impact assessment regarding different technologies introduced in the
area to identify the practical problems of the given interventions.
Analytical procedure was adopted to understand the development process of different interventions and to get response from the host
farmers. As the project interventions were at the initial stages of development, only farmers' assessment about these interventions was
explored. The majority of the farmers have less than 2 hectares of land holding.
Their participation in technological development process was much low. Large farmers' involvement in experimentation was higher, as they can spare land resources as well as share
the risk of crop failure due to uncertain climatic circumstances. The majority of the host farmers were members of community
organisation. In the first phase of project different technologies were tested in a participatory manner at farmers' fields to select the
most promising which suit the different farm situations.
An experiment of urea mineral molasses blocks (UMMB) was undertaken with many farmers' at all the three sites to introduce such
concentrate that can economically supplement the feed requirement of milking livestock, especially during fodder shortage period to
enhance the milk productivity of the animals.
There was an increase of 1.0-litre milk/day after blocks were used for two weeks. After
three weeks, average milk yield increase was 1.5 litre, ranging from 0.75 litre to 2 litre per day. The maximum 5-litre increase in the
yield of a crossbred cow at Jarmot Kalan was reported during the trial period. On average farmers reported 2-litre/day increase in
milk yield with in four week. The cost of 5 kg UMMB was Rs35 and it was enough for one milking animal for one weeks. So it was a very
cost effective concentrate particularly for rain-fed areas. The other benefits of UMMBs were the improvement in animal health, high
viscosity of milk (quality improvement) and improvement in animals' digestion.
Animals, which used to eat cloth, leather shoes etc. were also cured with the use of these blocks. (The animals deficient in `calcium' like
to lick UMMBs and often took more than the recommended dose if the whole block was put before them). All the sample respondents
were convinced with the performance and benefits of these blocks.
The performance of rabi fodder interventions was appreciated at all the three sites. As a measure of judgement for success and farmers'
preference of rabi fodder trials, informal seed production was initiated. Improved varieties of maize, sorghum, guar and millet were
introduced at Hafizabad. Maize, sudan grass, millet and sorghum (sada bahar) introduced at Jarmot Kalan and Kaslian. Farmers were not
clear about the names of new tested variety at all three sites. All the farmers were of the opinion that they would replicate these trials of
kharif fodder crops preferably for sorghum and maize varieties by producing their own seed. The viable technological components
afterparticipatory testing would be further disseminated during the next stages of the project.
Green manuring, improved varieties of wheat, groundnut and pulses were also
experimented and different exotic and indigenous forage grasses, shrubs, fodder and wood trees were introduced for the development of range lands. As the project interventions were at initial
stages of development, this study was conducted to provide feedback to the researchers and development agencies involved in this
project for proper planning, implementation and rapid adoption of the promising
technologies.
For rapid and wider dissemination of viable technologies, close collaboration and integration among research and
development components is indispensable. Proper selection
of innovators and small farmers for research trials may fulfil the project objectives.
National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) role requires to be enhanced to fill in the gap through community mobilisation. Before the introduction of any new intervention/technological
packages farming communities should be consulted systematically to clearly understand that the technology has no conflict with
farmers' present cropping patterns and be adopted keeping in view farmers' socio-economic conditions.
Participation of host farmers in particular, and fellow farmers (community) in general at each stage right from planning needs to be
ensured for successful transfer of promising technological packages. More research trials are needed to avert the
chances of failure with different farmers. Timely sowing should be ensured by
selection of farmer, site and supply of input well ahead of start of the sowing
season. Farmers faced difficulty to separate different varieties at the time of harvesting
and threshing, even difficult to identify different varieties.
The trial area for different varieties should be such that farmer could easily handle and operate. Proper demarcation must be made
between different varieties to recognise and produce their seed separately. Published literature for varietal trials needs to be
provided to farmers. Proper weed control needs to be introduced through use of weedicides, if feasible.
Pertinent follow- up after experimentation for rapid adoption and dissemination of the promising and adored interventions was missing. Most significant
determinant for further developmental planning required ample consideration. These are some of the important points to be considered
for proper planning and implementation of project activities for the general betterment of the rural
communities.
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