Location: Khaknar Block, Burhanpur District, Madhya Pradesh

Total Area: Khaknar block is situated south-east of the district of Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh. There are 165 villages, which include 144 revenue villages, 20 forest villages and 1 non-habitant village. The block has 86 Gram Panchayats with a total geographical area of 72,213 ha.

CP Site: 71376.08 ha, covering 86 gram panchayats, 115 villages and with an approximate population of 23,645 (2001)

Background

The CP site is geologically a black basalt zone, in a semi-arid region. Once a part of the resource-rich Melghat forest, natural resources are now extremely degraded in the area. The soil is medium deep black and fertile, but due to undulating land, traditional agricultural practices and inadequate irrigation facilities most farmers grow only a single crop in a year.

Major Kharif crops include soybean, maize, cotton, paddy, millets, arhar (pigeon pea), jowar and groundnut. While in the few places where Rabi crops are grown, wheat, pulses (chanaandmasur) and vegetables can be seen. There has also been a major shift in cropping pattern towards cash crops from traditional minor millets based cropping system, specifically towards more input and cost intensive varieties of cash crops like BT cotton, while farming system remains rainfed. There is almost no risk mitigation system to counter the risks inherent in such cropping system. Diversification of crops has not taken place.

This area has an annual average rainfall of 781 mm. Deviation in rainfall varies from +15% to -30%. The southwest monsoon delivers the maximum rain. There is no provision for protective irrigation for 92.8% of land.

The dominant Korku tribe fosters mainly on two major production system - rainfed agriculture and livestock specially small ruminants such as goats.

Though it is well understood that small ruminants and fisheries are a critical part of tribal livelihoods in rainfed areas, these sectors are still neglected. Fodder availability, decreasing grazing land, poor breeds, poor shelters, and unavailability of vaccination and veterinary services are some of the critical issues that are prevalent in sector.

About AKRSP

AKRSP(I) started operations in 1983 and is present at 7 blocks in 5 districts in Madhya Pradesh. It has been working in the Khaknar block since 2004. It works through village institutions with a special focus on women’s groups on activities that has included watershed, agriculture, livestock, micro finance (SHG), with focus on livelihood enhancement.

AKRSP(I) joined RRAN in April 2012, bringing to the network, its experience on soil productivity, expanding protective irrigation, revival of agriculture input supply programme through production and supply of HYV, improved agronomic practices, appropriate farm mechanization for enhancing labour productivity, strengthening rainfed livestock support systems, creating infrastructure and rural processing for agriculture products.