When their sugarcane crops failed to deliver a good yield three years ago, Kantabai Chavan and her husband Baban decided to try a new strategy.
Discarding their forebears’ conventional farming methods, they began planting stem cuttings in December, a full month later than they used to. They also switched from the “wet” method to “dry,” in which the cuttings are planted in dry soil and later irrigated.
The couple also opted to plant on straight lines, replacing the traditional “zigzag” or serpentine furrows. The gamble paid off. “The straight furrow technique has reduced our water usage by more than 30 percent while our production has also substantially increased,” said Kantabai.
“Previously, our yield would vary from 35 to 40 tonnes per acre. But during the period October 2010 to March 2011, we got 60 tonnes per acre,” added Baban.
Fellow farmer Ramnath Chavan witnessed a similar boost in his production after applying the same new methods. “From an average 40 tonnes of sugarcane per acre, my yield has gone up to 60 tonnes,” he said.
All three belong to a new crop of farmers bringing about a revolution in sugarcane cultivation in their village Bhidhanora in the western state of Maharashtra, India’s second largest sugar-producing state. This revolutionary farming method has cut down their overhead costs by reducing their use of water and pesticides, and has fetched them better prices in the market due to improved yields.
These farmers’ new-found knowledge evolved from an innovative project launched by the Worldwide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) in 2007 entitled “Reducing the Impact of Water-intensive and Polluting Crops: Securing sustainable sources of freshwater to support the livelihoods of poor communities in the Godavari Basin” in India.
The project is centered on promoting better management practices (BMP), agricultural practices that optimise the three pillars of sustainability – social responsibility, environmental integrity and economic viability – explains Sumit Roy, WWF-India’s Project Manager for Freshwater and Wetlands Programme.
“These practices include improvement of planting techniques such as time and method of planting, selection of a suitable variety and appropriate soil, optimum spacing and seed treatment; fertiliser application, type of irrigation and soil drainage and weed control techniques,” says Roy.
Sustainable practices are much needed for sugarcane which, according to WWF-India figures, occupies just four per cent of the land in Maharashtra but consumes nearly two-thirds of the state irrigation supply. Sugarcane’s water requirement ranges between 1600 to 2000 millimetres a year, depending on the climate.
In this scenario, farmers’ water use is reported to be around 3000 to 4000 mm a year, an enormous waste of water. But using traditional methods, their average yields remain low.
Some 700 farmers, including women, in 12 villages in Aurangabad district in Maharashtra are benefiting from the project. Members take part in group training sessions, while women attend schools for farmers where they learn the safe handling of pesticides, kitchen gardening for better nutrition, and health and household financial management.
The women’s school also helps empower them with a holistic approach that includes proper nutrition for their children, given the high malnutrition rates among women and children in farming communities, and the importance of children’s education to better their lives.
Women like 40-year-old Shobha Bors of Varegaon village have found the experience empowering. “I am more confident today after learning about the different BMP methods,” she says. “I have learnt how to make manure from sugarcane waste and the correct dosage of fertilisers and bio-pesticides to be applied to the plants. Also, with my new knowledge of the dangers posed by exposure to pesticides, I ensure that my children stay away from the fields after spraying is done.”
The case for adopting BMPs thus becomes strong, as it spells out financial benefits to the farmer and the social benefits of more water and less pollution for the surrounding and downstream communities, observes Roy.
To encourage sugar mills to offer support services to farmers in return for high sucrose-yielding cane, WWF-India is working closely with the privately owned Mukteshwar Sugar Mill in Dhamori village, about 40 km from Aurangabad. The mill is reaching out to farmers in different villages implementing BMP methods in sugarcane cultivation.
“We recently held a daylong training programme for sugarcane farmers, hopefully the first of many,” said Mr. A. B. Patare, the sugar mill’s chief executive officer. The topics included the importance of preparing the soil for sowing, soil testing, proper seed selection, spacing, fertiliser scheduling, the importance of micronutrients and organic manure, water management, and pest and disease management.
The mill also provides manual labour and transportation machinery during harvest time. “Before the mill was set up over a year ago, farmers were often exploited by outside factories and mills. We also had to pay for the labour and transportation costs, so harvesting the crop was not viable,” said Ramnath Chavan. “But Mukteshwar mill provides both the labour and transportation machinery and we get a good price for our cane.”
The time of sowing is crucial in sugarcane farming, yet before the project many farmers were unaware of the correct planting time. “For most of us, the sowing time was anywhere between Nov. 25 to Feb. 26. Under BMPs, we learnt that the best time for sowing is from Dec. 3 to Jan. 12,” said Baban Chavan.
By dropping the conventional practices followed by generations in his family, he now enjoys the fruits of his labour. And with his profits, he has invested more in the land. “With my increased income, I was able to purchase a sprinkler system. I have also constructed a second house, besides carrying out repairs in the old home,” he said.
The family is also optimistic about the future of their three children. “We can now afford to send our two sons and daughter to private schools, which earlier was out of the question as private education is costly,” said Kantabai.
