Supported by – HDFC Bank

The project “Empowering Farmers through Sustainable Farming and Value Addition in the Himalayan State” is a focused initiative aimed at transforming agricultural practices in Kandaghat Tehsil, Himachal Pradesh, from April 2024.

The programme seeks to enhance farmers’ livelihoods through an integrated approach that promotes sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices, value addition to agricultural produce, and improved market access. By supporting farmers in adopting better production techniques and strengthening linkages with markets, the project aims to increase incomes and contribute to a sustainable improvement in their overall quality of life.

Project Name: Focused Rural Development Program – Small & Marginalised Farmers (FRDP-SMF)
Implementing Agency: Mount Valley Development Association
Donor: Azim Premji Foundation

Overview:
The FRDP-SMF aims to enhance the income of 1200 small and marginal farmer households in 10 villages of Bhilangna Block, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. The region faces challenges such as fragmented landholdings, low productivity, water scarcity, and human-animal conflict, compounded by climate change and traditional farming practices.

Objective:
To improve agricultural and livestock practices, promote mixed cropping and vegetable cultivation (chilli, onion, garlic), and strengthen soil and water conservation efforts for sustainable livelihoods.

Key Strategies:

• Promote awareness and access to government schemes related to irrigation and soil-water conservation
• Encourage community-led initiatives to protect crops from wild animal attacks

Improve livestock management and climate-resilient agriculture

Mainstreaming agricultural biodiversity conservation and utilization in agricultural sectors to ensure ecosystem services and reduce vulnerability (Agro – Biodiversity)

This programme is supported by Bioversity International in association with UN Environment-GEF funded project in amalgamation with Mount Valley Development Association (MVDA). With this program we are aiming to enhance the livelihood of women through conservation and rejuvenation of wild and cultivated spices and condiments of the region as well as to mainstream by empowering and encouraging them as well as sensitizing other communities.

---

At present the program is implemented at Tehri Garhwal district.

Number of villages covered	5
Number of beneficiaries	33

---

---

Objective

• To mainstream the conservation and use of agricultural biodiversity for resilience in agriculture
• To improve livelihoods, access and benefit sharing capacity of farmer communities through sustainable production
• To use community-based participatory approaches which support the maintenance of existing crop diversity.
• Proposed approaches will include awareness campaigns, seed fairs, diversity flora, strengthening seed supply systems and the establishment of community gene banks, and other adaptive technologies that enable farmers to adopt and benefit from diversity rich solutions.

---

Deliverables by MVDA

• Submission of the Baseline & Nutritional survey.
• 15 champion farmers on the promotion of the local landraces of Rice, Kidney Beans, Finger Millet, Amaranth and Buckwheat Kharif season namely China 4 (Paddy) Harshil Rajma (Kidney bean) Lal Mandua (Finger Millet) and white Amaranth for promotion.
• Rabi season, we worked on Baby trials for 26 varieties of Barley.
• Mother and Baby trial for Rice (31 landraces) and Barnyard (15 landraces) with the guidance and technical support from ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources – Bhowali.
• Conducted various capacity building trainings and field exposure for farmers.

This programme is supported by SOIR- IM in amalgamation with Mount Valley Development Association (MVDA). With this program we aim to enhance the livelihood of women through conservation and rejuvenation of wild and cultivated spices and condiments of the region as well as to mainstream by empowering and encouraging them along with the other communities.

---

At present the program is being implemented at Tehri Garhwal district.

Number of villages covered	50
Number of beneficiarie	150

---

Objective

• To enhance income of women by 30% through conservation and rejuvenation of indigenous open pollinated wild spices and condiments.
• To improve access of at least 50% target women to various government schemes and entitlements.
• To address and sensitize the issue of gender discrimination within the community through increased participation of women in village and community level planning meetings.
• To promote environment friendly organic farming and stopping the use of agri-chemicals for building climate resilience as sustainable livelihood option.|

---

Deliverables by MVDA

• Trained 150 women on organic spice cultivation and documentation.
• Bank linkages of 16 WFGs (Women Farmers Group) and distribution of Roto-weeder and Thresher at subsidized rates from Agriculture Department.
• In 15 sessions 117 people have attended the gender sensitization and awareness raising workshops.
• 35 households have claimed for Government Schemes and Entitlements.