Land to Lab approach for promoting farmer’s innovation T.J James, Hubby Mathew ,Pramod Chacko Peermade Development Society (PDS) Peermade PO ,Idukki ,Kerala, India www.pdslandtolab.org . www.pdspeermade.com
Peermade Development Society Natural resource management Rural technology promotion Rural health promotion
Idukki : Profile • Hilly district of Kerala • Most economically and industrially backward • Tribal communities, Marginal farmers & plantation workers • Agriculture is main source of livelihood • Cash crops – Cardamom , Pepper, Coffee, Tea and other cash crops
Lab to Land 2 Land to lab Our experiences Lab to land model - neglected the feasibility at field level. Farmers innovation and creativity Underestimated ,Underutilized, Unrecognized
Land to Lab • Documentation • Development • Dissemination
Documentation Methodologies • Process • Women groups & • Detailed Documentation farmer’s clubs • Field visits by experts • Competitions & Media • Experts comments • Field offices • Prior Art Search • Scanning of literature • Test and field Trial Achievements • National Award for scouting innovations • Identified more than ten thousand practices • Methodology for scouting women knowledge practices
Vide range of Innovations • Plant Varieties • Plant protection practices • Farm implements • Cultivation practices
Analysis • Location Specific • R&D Institutes Problems Ignored Handpump.mpg • Private Sector not • Innovations more in high interested risk areas
Methodology for identifying the location specific problems • Arrowroot grinding machine; manual processing is a tedious and time consuming • Cardamom drier : firewood shortage, high rent for curing and theft of good quality cardamom
• Thinking out of box- Shoot Borer in Cardamom • Prompt reaction of farmers
Constraints • Community / Individual • Competition model
Innovation Development Methodologies Process • Technical & financial • Help innovator to develop support to innovator proposals • Linking with R&D • Mobilize support from institutes various sources • Arrange mentors • Achievements Mobilized support for developing arrow root grinder , cardamom drier ,pepper thresher, banana slicing machines , low cost pumps pepper &cardamom varieties,
Innovation development : Lessons Learnt • Mechanical innovations- financial involvements & time consuming • Issues of IPR Cardamom polishing machine
Dissemination Methodologies • Process Recognition at National level • Active involvement of Innovation – service based media enterprises • Support to innovators for starting enterprises • Entrepreneurship training programme Achievements • Service based enterprises established in cardamom polishing machine, pepper thresher and cardamom drier
Cardamom drier • Drying cost is minimum • Drying Time • Quality of drying ( farmers are getting 20% more price)
Innovated Parameters Traditional Electrical Low cost drier Wet Capacity (Kg) 400-450 75-100 70 Time required for drying 30- 40 12-15 24-28 (hrs) Temperature Maintenance Difficult Possible Possible (constant ) Humidity Maintenance Difficult Possible Possible (40%-50%) Uniformity Less More More Handling Difficult Easy Easy Risk High Medium Low Cost / Kg ( Rs) 7 9 7
Cost Benefit Analysis • Curing cost for one month • LPG 10 cylinders @ Rs.950 = 9500.00 • Manpower: = 2000.00 Total 11500.00 • Sales Turnover in a month • 200 Kg/ cylinder x 10 cylinder x Rs. 7.00/kg 14000.00 • Profit: Rs. 2500.00
Pepper Thresher • Capital/ Cost of thresher : 18,500.00 • Capacity of Machine : 600kg/ hour x 3hrs/day =1800 Kg/day • Electricity Consumption : 6 units /hour ie 18 units x 5 Rs/unit = 90 Rs. x 15 days = 1350.00 Rs. • Season : 4 months • Labor charge : 3000.00 Rs (200.00 Rs.x 15 days) (video of thresher ) • Service charge : 720 Rs.(40ps.x1800 kgs.) x 15 days = 10, 800 Rs. • Profit : Rs.7450.00
Cardamom polishing machine • Capital/ Cost of Polishing Machine : 13,500.00Rs. • Capacity of Machine : 100kg/hr x 3 hrs/day = 300 kgs./day • Electricity Consumption : 1unit/hr ie 3 units x 15days = 45 units x 5 Rs.= 225 Rs. • Season : 4 months • Labour charge : 3000.00 Rs.(200.00 Rs.x 15 days) • Service charge : 600.00 Rs.(2.00 Rs.x 300.00 kgs.) x 15 days = 9000.00 Rs. • Profit:Rs.5775.00
Lessons Learnt • Large scale diffusion/ commercialization has limitations • Formal recognition; facilitates diffusion • Innovative technologies some time need innovative methods for diffusion
Capacity Building & Empowerment: Users group • Included in the training programme • Development Task force • Innovators Technology Development Center • Newsletter
Land to Lab • Supplementing formal research works of R&D R&D institutes IPR • Promoting diversity at local level • Methodology for identifying Mentors Financial Entrepreneur location specific technologies farmer • Tool for promoting farmers Innovation innovation • Ensuring participation of all stakeholders- Farmers • Involving creative communities Policy Makers Women groups NGO and people
Quotable quotes • ‘There will be several hardships and unless you have determination to achieve, your attempt will be a failure; your journey for a successful innovator may ruin your family relations and personnel relations. You should realize that before stepping into this field ’ • ‘s uccess of research tempted me to continue the works. If the results were negative at the first time, I will not continue the experiments. The positive results forced me to travel the ways which I did not intend • ‘ Though my variety doesn’t fetch any income to me, I am happy. I used to walk in the field during evening time. The growth of the wines of ash gourd is in the evening times and we can actually see this. This fills my heart’
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