BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT

Transcription

1 BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT Women Biotechnology Programme for Rural Areas SC/ST Population Women Biotechnology 1. Main thrust of activities To develop, promote and use biotechnological processes and tools for entrepreneurship development and provide employment opportunities to women. To set up integrated facilities for economic empowerment of urban as well as rural women. Such a facility - Golden Jubilee Biotechnology Women s Park aims to establish linkages between research institutions and industrial units have been set up. The Park will also scale up the basic technologies for commercial utilization, and impart training in relevant areas to develop a pool of skilled and well trained women. The Park will evolve cooperation among women entrepreneurs and the corporate sector for joint marketing strategies. To support R&D projects specifically addressing the problems of women or for developing technology packages relevant to them. 2. New initiatives for the 10th plan: During the Tenth plan the priority will be: To implement projects in Biotechnology areas for technical empowerment and economic benefit of women. To support R& D projects specifically for addressing the health and nutritional related problems of wome To undertake projects for entrepreneurship development in biotechnology. Programme for Rural Areas To create awareness on biotechnology packages for income generation and better health care in rural areas and disseminate the use of biotechnological process and tools for creating new avenues of employment in rural areas, training and demonstration projects are being supported in various states. More than 25,000 rural people have been trained in various areas such as wasteland utilization, vermiculture and vermicomposting, food technology, sericulture, mushroom cultivation, floriculture, biofertilizer, aquafarming, poultry farming, rabbit rearing for quality wool production, medicinal & aromatic plant cultivation and formulation of herbal medicines. Programmes were taken up for rehabilitation of earthquake victims of Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts of Uttaranchal and Bhuj area of Gujarat. Various organizations were supported to train the earthquake victims in different activities such as food processing, organic farming,

2 cultivation of medicinal plants, aquaculture etc. The affected families were benefited and are now earning an additional income through the sales of their products. Other areas of organic farming, cultivation of tissue culture plants of horticulture and forestry, animal feed and healthcare, spirulina production were also supported to benefit several affected families. A Model Biovillage Project was set up in Gujarat at Mocha. A drinking water plant was set up in Mocha village to make available 30,000 litre of drinking water per day. The project has created awareness among farmers to make use of their areas for self-employment. Based on the success seen, Gujarat Water Supply and Sewage Disposal Board have taken over R.O. plant to run and maintain it on long term basis. Demonstration plots were also set up for promoting the use of biopesticides and biofertilizer for cotton, groundnut and bajra. Another Biovillage project was supported through S&T Council of M.P. to undertake activities such as sericulture, vermiculture, value added product development from natural fibres, Spirulina production, floriculture including floricraft, pisciculture and post harvest technology in 10 villages in 5 districts of the state. The biovillage project supported at Shahjahanpur is to train beneficiaries for sugarcane cultivation. A concept was developed to establish Rural Bioresource Complex (RBC) to demonstrate viable and ecologically compatible technologies to the rural people for adoption in a holistic and sustainable manner. In the first phase, the projects have been funded at four state agricultural universities (Marathwada Agricultural University, GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore and Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar). These projects Main Thrust of Activities SC/ST Population To improve the socio-economic status of SC/ST community, demonstration and training projects were supported for skills development and income generation of SC/ST community. Various universities, public funded institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, NGOs, voluntary and nongovernmental organizations were the part of the project implementation. Various projects have been supported on cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants, mushroom and Spirulina cultivation, biological control of plant pests and diseases, vermiculture and vermicomposting, biofertilizers, aquaculture, floriculture, poultry farming, human healthcare etc. Medicinal Plants A project on strengthening health care practices and conservation of medicinal and nutritious plants was initiated at Herbal Folklore Research Centre, Tirupati for implementation in 100 villages of two mandals in Andhra Pradesh. Villages were surveyed in Chittoor district involving dalits and tribals and documented for establishment in the demonstration garden and for germplasm conservation for rare and endangered plants. Medicinal species that are in wider use for primary health care among the communities were identified and SHGs were trained on medicinal plant usage and cultivation. Biofuels

3 A project was undertaken on cultivation of Jatropha in arid lands of Namakkal District in Tamil Nadu for production of biofuel and other products as an income generation activity for the scheduled caste population at Centre for Research in Social Sciences, Coimbatore. Training programme was conducted on cultivation, seed collection, nursery techniques and oil extraction processes. SHGs were formed and trained in nursery techniques and provided with the necessary inputs for seedling production. Vermicompost pit were also dug and earthworms were supplied to raise jatropha plantation along with intercrops such as black gram, green gram and cowpea. Tissue Culture Vanilla A project is being implemented on cultivation of tissue culture vanilla for improving the economy of the SC/ST populations by the Peermade Development Society, Idukki District, Kerala. Work has been initiated to produce disease-free, early flowering and high yielding vanilla crop through meristem culture. The plantlets have been harvested, hardened and transferred to green house for distribution amongst the SC/ST beneficiaries from seven selected villages of Idukki district. Training has been provided in agronomic practices for organic cultivation of vanilla using the freely available mulch in the vicinity. Biofertilizer A project on development and practice of vermiculture as an effective source of biofertilizer for improved agricultural productivity among the scheduled castes of Veerapandi Block of Salem district in Tamil Nadu was implemented at GRD Educational Trust, Coimbatore. Awareness programmes were conducted and more than 300 persons were trained in the techniques of vermicomposting. The fertilizer produced utilized as vermicompost as self sustained employment and income generation activity an in crop production Biopesticides A project on production and application of neem and other plant based biopesticides for insect control was implemented at Madurai Kamraj University, Madurai. Farmers were trained on preparation and application of neem, acorus and jatropha formulations for controlling agricultural pests. Awareness campaigns were conducted on efficacy of plant products for the control of both crop pests and storage pests. Training was organized for the benefit of village personnel and people were trained on the use of the production facility for biopesticides. The pesticide production facilities established were also handed over to the village panchayats for sustaining the project activity. A project on agro-ecological conservation was implemented at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Pravara Institute of Research and Education in Natural and Social Sciences (PIRENS), Babhaleshwar in Ahmadnagar District, Maharashtra. Bioagents for control of pests and diseases were produced and supplied to the beneficiaries for demonstration. SC/ST families were selected to undertake training, demonstration and trials of different biocontrol agents of pests and diseases (HaNPV, Noumuraea spp., Trichoderma spp., Paecillomyces spp. and Verticilium spp.) on various crops. The beneficiaries earned an average income of Rs. 2800/- per acre.

4 Organic Farming/Vermicompost A project on demonstration of vermicomposting for the benefit of SC/ST population in Washim district of Maharashtra was implemented by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Karda. Several units were established in the beneficiaries farms. Farmers were also trained on the demonstration units for imparting better understanding of the concept of organic farming and trials conducted on soybean, black gram, green gram and groundnut shown good yield. Vermicompost is being sold collectively with the marketing linkages. The project has convinced the farmers about the benefit of the vermicomposting and its use in organic crop production. Silkworm Rearing Mulberry Cultivation and Silkworm rearing are effective income and employment generation opportunities for the tribal population of Salem district in Tamil Nadu. Sericulture has great potential for improving the socio-economic status of the farmers, particularly marginal farmers and agricultural labourers and therefore, a demonstration on sericulture technology was taken up for the tribal population of Yercaud block, Salem district in Tamil Nadu. Beneficiaries were trained on aspects of cultivation and drip irrigation of mulberry, cocoon production, construction of rearing house and chawki rearing with the help of the Regional Sericulture Research Station in selected villages. Aquaculture A project on murrel (a freshwater fish) culture and seed production was undertaken at Centre For Aquaculture Research and Extension (CARE), Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu. Murrel is known for low fat, few intramuscular spines and survival in oxygen-depleted waters and also fetches the highest price (about Rs. 200/kg) among the fresh water fishes. SC/ST youth were trained on identification of murrel species, sexual dimorphism, induced breeding technique, seed production and larviculture, live feed culture involving artemia and rotifers, monoculture and polyculture of murrel with catfish and disease management. Beneficiaries were trained on different fish farms and fish culture practices. Beneficiaries have adopted monoculture and polyculture practices and earned about Rs. 9000/- in seven months. At Kalyani University, a project on integrated fish-duck farming was implemented for the benefit of SC/ST population. This was taken up to promote integrated fish culture with minimal cost of production through utilization and recycling of animal droppings by minimizing the use of supplementary feed and chemical fertilizers. Fishermen's cooperative societies were formed and 400 families from Chandamari, Bhomra and Haringhata villages were trained on various aspects of duck-cum-fish culture and poultry-cum-fish culture. A project was implemented on fish-duck integrated aquafarming and dissemination of organic recycling for the benefit of SC/ST and weaker section of Tarai region of Uttaranchal by G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar. Demonstrations were conducted on culture practices and stocking with fish fingerlings in different ratio and rearing them with Khaki Campbell ducklings. Farmers were trained on various aspects of fish and duck husbandry.

5 At Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur, a project on integration of fish, duck and horticulture farming was taken up in the village tanks of Chhattisgarh for improving fish production and poverty alleviation. An awareness programmes on integrated aquafarming were organized for selected tribal families and the training programmes were organized on pond preparation, selection of species, stocking of fish seed, harvesting and netting the pond. Integrated aquaculture for sustainable resource management undertaken in two villages viz. Mahim and Masvan in Palghar Taluka of Thane district in Maharashtra, technologies on integrated fish farming, nursery management, poultry management, growout technology of carps, ornamental fish culture, rearing of brooder freshwater prawn, spirulina culture, soil and water quality management, mushroom culture and vermicomposting were transferred to the people. Training manuals were prepared and distributed to the villagers. Mushroom Cultivation A project on mushroom cultivation was implemented at Madurai Kamaraj University for the unemployed SC/ST youths in Madurai and Virudhunagar Districts. A training programme was organized on cultivation of milk mushroom and oyster mushroom. Youths were trained on mushroom cultivation including hygiene and harvesting aspects and trainees have started culturing mushroom as an income generating activity. Some of the trainees have set-up their own mushroom production units and are earning regular income. New Priorities Programmes are being encouraged on activities, which have direct application to the society on their health care system, environment and sanitation and entrepreneurship development to extend more benefits through training and demonstration. Biofarming aspects would be strengthened more to help in amelioration of economic conditions of the rural and SC/ST families engaged in agrifarming /horticulture. Integrated programme on establishment of biocomplexes in various rural activities would be the priority focus on employment generation and reduction of migration to the cities and drudgery. Awareness creation among the rural people would be encouraged to familiarize the farmers with recently patented herbal coating procedure for N and S fertilizers, which will help them in saving cost on farm inputs including chemical fertilizers and take necessary eco-friendly measures. Statistical Adviser, Department of Biotechnology NGO cell Societal programme Department of Biotechnology Block 2, CGO compelex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-3 For project preparations CONTACT US

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