Philippine agriculture delegation visits ICRISAT-led project sites in India

The eight-day visit, which spanned Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and ICRISAT Headquarters in Hyderabad, Telangana, provided insights into innovative climate-smart agricultural practices and effective water and soil management technologies.

Exploring soil and water management in Uttar Pradesh

The delegation began their visit in Nota village, Tahrauli Tehsil, Uttar Pradesh, where they engaged with members of the ‘Progressive Bundelkhand Farmer Producer Company’ (FPC). During the visit, the group discussed the FPC’s activities and initiatives, gaining valuable insights into how ICRISAT supports local farmers by organizing them as FPOs and FPCs. Ramesh Singh, ICRISAT’s principal scientist & cluster head, provided an in-depth overview of the soil and water management challenges affecting 40 villages in the region, further enriching the delegation’s understanding of the critical issues faced by the community.

In Bhadokhar village, Jhansi district, the delegation was introduced to various rainwater conservation methods, including the rejuvenation of traditional rainwater harvesting structures known as haveli cultivation, and learned about the importance of these structures in preventing soil erosion. Rohan Khopade, the horticulture scientist, ICRISAT, explained fruit-based agroforestry practices, while Ashok Shukla, scientific officer, ICRISAT, highlighted the benefits of the equipment installed by ICRISAT, such as the Automatic Weather Station (AWS), Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR) for measuring soil moisture, a groundwater-level indicator, and runoff measuring devices.

The exploration continued with visits to rainwater conservation projects in other parts of Uttar Pradesh, such as Sutta and Singar villages in Jhansi and Pura Birdha in Lalitpur. Here, the delegation heard firsthand accounts from local farmers about the positive impacts of ICRISAT’s initiative.

The delegation also interacted with public representatives, including Anurag Sharma, MP, and Junaid Ahmad, CDO Jhansi, to understand the role of local and national administration in the successful implementation of projects.

Understanding the impacts of the odisha livelihood mission

The visit then moved to Odisha, where the delegation explored several model sites facilitated by ICRISAT under the Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM). In Odisha, they observed the role of women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in successful enterprises, such as the Dwarf Coconut Nursery, which produces 100,000 seedlings annually, and ventures into ornamental nurseries and apiculture as alternative livelihoods.

A standout initiative was the Waste-to-Wealth Management project. The delegation learned about this community-driven project, which transforms waste into valuable resources. In addition to converting invasive water hyacinth into compost, they also saw how the initiative has transformed the community by maintaining clean water bodies and using the compost to grow organic vegetables.

ICRISAT headquarters and collaborations

Concluding their visit at ICRISAT’s headquarters in Hyderabad, the delegation explored state-of-the-art facilities, including the Genebank, Agromet Lab, Living Lab, Center of Excellence in Climate Change Research for Plant Protection, Center of Excellence in Genomics and Systems Biology, and the Agri-Business Incubation Center. The group also interacted with ICRISAT scientists and Stanford Blade, deputy director general-research.