1420 - innovations in implements: processes followed by wassan
DESCRIPTION
Presentation at the Workshop on Crop Production Equipment for the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Presenter: A Ravindra, WASSAN, India Title: Innovations In Implements: Processes Followed by WASSAN Date: November 3, 2014 Venue: ACISAI, Asian Institute of Technology, ThailandTRANSCRIPT
Innovations In Implements : Processes
Processes Followed by WASSANhttp://www.wassan.org/sri_implements
Ravindra A03-11-2014, AIT, Bangkok
Several farmers’ & others’
innovations around;
• Some Principles :– Posture– Evaluating component
parts– Weight – Women be able to do– Able to manufacture it
locally– soils (clay soils & light soils)– Cost
Stage 1 : Innovators’ workshop
• Scouted for farmers who innovated on weeders and markers
• Organised a workshop with – farmers with implements, Agriculture University (engineers & agronomists), promoters.
• A dialogue on :• What are we looking for?• How do we test?
• An evaluation of all weeders – component wise (handle, the weeding drum, float etc.)
An SRI-Farmer who is also a mechanical engineer – Mr. Kishan Rao put together the best of the components together – named the weeder after his Village Name.
Stage 2 : Developing an Improvised version
• Identified a local fabricator in Hyderabad• Worked with a local fabricator• Arrived at a prototype and tested..& refined • Placed bulk order.• Got this fabricator set .. some initial quality
issues .. corrected.
Fabricator
WASSAN’s promotional
programs
Farmers
Promoters
Govt Programs
• Generating demand
• Quality control
• Help in price negotiation
Other States/ Countries
• Designs are in the manual• & in the web
This fabricator (Paul) has prepared and supplied more than 10000 weeders.
We connect, farmers / promoters to this person.
Prototypes were taken to several places along with SRI promotion anchored by WASSAN : - Uttarakhand- Odisha- Jharkhand- Bihar- Afghanisthan- Other states..
Catering to Scaling up with Government:
Step 1: Worked with the government department on the models- Formed a State level Consortium (WASSAN as secretariat –
with Agrl University, DRR, others)- Convinced the Agrl Department to waive the requirement of
Agrl University formally recommending the weeders- The Consortium – looked at and approved the two weeders
(Mandava & the Crops’ modified) along with the Cono-weeder of University
- Unit costs are arrived at- Got the fabricator (informal industry) as supplier- Some quality control & payment mechanisms established.
Step 1a : Trained labor/ wage workers on using markers and weeders along with the farmers.
Catering to Scaling up with Government:
Step 2: Local fabricators’ training- Worked in collaboration with the Agrl University.- Asked all the promoters to identify a local fabricator
(about 10 fabricators were identified).- A three day training organised for them
- Introduction to SRI and the requirements of weeding etc.- The will all make two types of weeders during the work-shop.- The 1st fabricator was the trainer.- The entire process was filmed.. And the fabricators have taken
the drawings and film along with them.- 1st round orders were placed with them to supply weeders
and markers- Established fabricators them locally.
Catering to Scaling up with Government:
Step 3: Custom hiring centers- It’s a waste of capital for small farmers to buy
weeders and markers.- If these are available for rent, then the need
(headache of) for maintaining the implements / investments are not required.
- Farmers / labor can hire many weeders at one time so that more labor can work at a given point in time.
Catering to Scaling up with Government:
Step 4: Labour contract groups
- Tried to evolve labor contract systems i.e. getting per acre weeding &
transplanting contract in place of daily wage payment.
- Lots of negotiation between farmers / labor groups / facilitating team on ..
- Whether the farmer should pay the entire amount that s/he was paying in conventional system.
- Also attempted a contract labor system – not yet fine-tuned. (i.e. if for a fixed
amount of Rs., the farmer contracts with the SHG Federation; the federation
will take care of transplanting and weeding against a fixed amount of
contract-payment (farmer need to go searching for SRI-skilled labor)
- Labor groups trainings were organised, even supported by the government.