Successful Research – Farmers – Agri Business Models :

IARI Experience

S A Patil & Malavika Dadlani

Indian Agricultural Research Institute

New Delhi 110012

In the context of agriculture, the purpose of conducting a research is either

• to fulfill a gap in the pursuit of knowledge ( which may or not have any immediate application ) or

• to provide solution to a problem in order to enhance the productivity and / or profitability in a sustainable eco friendly manner

Indian Agricultural Scenario

• Agricultural production increased from 50 million tons( 1950-51 ) to 227 million tons( 2007-08 ); however, growth rate is flat over last 10 years

• Population, currently at 1.15 billion, is continuing to increase

• Tremendous pressure to increase agricultural productivity

• New technologies must be deployed for food and nutritional security

Productivity challenges: 1

• Abiotic stresses

– Drought

• Low or erratic rainfall in rainfed situations

• Light soils with poor water holding capacity

• Inability to irrigate enough or on time

– Water logging

• Poor drainage

• Excessive rainfall

– Sub optimal temperatures

– Saline soils

– Nutrient deficiencies

( Verma P.,2008 )

Productivity challenges: 2

• Biotic stresses

– Fungal, Bacterial and Viral

diseases

– Sucking and chewing insect pests

• Sub optimal agronomy

• No or improper use of fertilizer

• Sub optimal cropping systems

• Poor weed management

Production Challenges

• To minimise losses

• To maximise input use efficiency

• To enhance food availability and food value through better post-harvest strategies

• To increase profitability by product mix

• To develop eco friendly sustainable practices

• In veiw of an ever increasing global population, shrinking water resources, degrading soils, impact of global warming and climate change, rise in the environmental pollution and emergence of more dynamic pest and disease complexes, success of agriculture research largely depends on efficient use of inputs and management of resouces.

Why the Focus on Quality Seed?• Use of quality seed alone can increase productivity

by 15 – 20 %

• In spite of 40 years of systematic progress made in seed sector there are significant gaps between seed requirement and availability

• The National Seed Plan ( 2005 ) projected annual seed requirement of field crops ~ 254 lakh q ( calculated @ 25% for SP crops and 35% for CP crops )

• Present availability of quality seed is estimated at ~ 190 lakh q ( 2006 – 07 )

• In some crops SRR is as low as ~ 5-6%.

Field Crops

• The public seed sector contributes about 59 % of total certified / quality seed of field crops

• The percentage share varies from 13 ( sunflower ) to 98% ( pulses ) in different crops, the focus being on high volume low value seeds of OP varieties of major grain crops

( DAC, 2007-08 )

Vegetables• Hybrids account for about 55% share and the rest by OPVs

• Vegetable seed segment is only 3-4% by volume but accounts for a share of > 15% in terms of value

• A large number of private bred proprietary hybrids occupy the market though public institutions have several superior hybrids

• Hybrids share varies from < 5 % ( chilli, gourds etc. ) to > 50% ( watermelon, cabbage etc )

• The seed replacement rate is high both for OPVs( 65 –100% ) and hybrids( 100% )

( RaboBank, 2006 )

Gaps in the Quality Seed Supply Chain

• Almost 2/3rd seed requirement is met from farm – saved seed where quality is not assured

• In the seed chain, supply of breeder seed of notified varieties by the SAUs and ICAR institutes is well organised but its multiplication to Foundation and Certified seeds are not realised.

IARI technologies for Agri-based enterprises

• New varieties• Cultivation systems• Seed production• Cultivation of high value crops• Hi-tech cultivation system (protected cultivation)• Nursery raising• Production of Biofertilizers, Mushroom • Vermicomposting • Post harvest processing and Value addition

Potential of Quality Seed

• Intensive agriculture requires optimum level of inputs

• Seed is the most important input ,determining the performance potential

• Improved high yielding genotypes and high quality seeds help increase productivity

• Value added traits help to reduce losses due to pest & disease attacks, increase profitability

• Production of commercial seed also generates employment opportunities in rural areas, eg production of hybrid seeds

Public Research Institutions viz., IARI are strong in developing

HYVs and Hybrids in Field Crops

But adoption of these by the farmers is low due to poor commercialisation

IARI’s Objectives

• To popularise new improved crop varieties among farmers

• To make available seeds of better crop varieties so that old and obsolete varieties can be replaced

• To strengthen the agriculture economy by developing farmers’ enterprenuership

• To strengthen the seed industry by making available basic seed of improved varieties / parental lines of hybrids

• To encourage scientific excellence through incentives – both monetary and recognitions

Farmers’ participation in rice seed production : An IARI initiative

Farmers’ Seed Production Programmes of IARI

Model 1:

• The farmers are advised to grow, in limited areas, the new improved varieties suitable for the given location

• During the crop season scientists visit the farmers’ fields to provide guidance in cultivation as well as seed production

• In the next season as per their choice and requirement the farmers take up seed production for own use ( village level )

Farmers’ Seed Production Programmes of IARI

Model : 2• Progressive farmers having enterprising interests are identified in a

village and guided to form a small consortium or cooperative.

• They are provided with the Basic seed of new and promising IARI varieties ( having good market demand ) to take up seed multiplication under regular monitoring by a team of IARI scientists.

• The seed thus produced is processed, tested and bought back by IARI at 20% bonus over the market price in case of food crops. In case of vegetables the buy-back price is 20% less than the sale price of IARI.

• The processed and quality tested seeds are treated, packed and sold as TL seeds of IARI.

Farmers’ Seed Production Programmes of IARI

Model : 3• Small Farmers’ seed enterprises are also supported by IARI to take up seed

production in a (small) commercial scale

• Such farmers’ companies can purchase the Breeder Seeds of IARI OPVs or the parental lines of Hybrids, on non- exclusive basis, for further multiplication and sale under their brand (retaining the IARI name) just as any commercial seed company

• However, the Farmers’ companies need to pay only a small token money to IARI in place of royalty paid by commercial companies

• The Farmers’ Companies are fully responsible for the production, processing and quality testing of such seeds, however they may avail the services of IARI scientists.

IARI Experience :1

• Following Model 1 and 2, a large number of farmers and farmers’ groups in UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, MP, Karnataka and Maharashtra are now producing seeds of new IARI varieties for own use or under buy-back programme of IARI, thus increasing their earnings and availability of Pusa Seeds

Production of Quality Seeds (q ) of IARI Crop Varieties Through Farmers’ Participation( 2006-2008 )

Wheat Paddy Pulses Mustard

2006-07 2387 --- 82.33 ----

2007-08 2300 3088 50.45 90

IARI Experience : 2

• IARI has signed non-exclusive agreements with one NGO and 15 seed companies for seed production of IARI rice hybrid PRH 10 and with 2 companies for vegetable hybrids and OP varieties

• This has not only resulted in popularisation of hybrid PRH 10, but also higher income by the farmers

• ( ~ Rs 1.0 lakh / ha )

Seed Production for Entrepreneurship Development

Hybrid vegetable seed production technology: A remunerativeenterprise for small farmers

• Hybrid seed production in high value vegetables like tomato,brinjal, cauliflower , chili, bottle gourd etc. are highlyremunerative

• It involves hand emasculation & pollination and can be taken upby farmers & small entrepreneurs

• Package practices for hybrid seed production technology isavailable for IARI hybrids

• IARI also provides necessary trainings to farmers and smallentrepreneurs for taking up Hybrid seed production business.

Vegetable hybrid seed production technology

Tomato

CauliflowerBrinjal

Hybrid brinjal seed production is more profitable in the

net house, where the crop is more vigorous, insect free ,

show longer stigma receptivity, higher fruit and seed

yield as compared to open field condition

Hybrid seed production under field and net house

Hybrids: Pusa Hybrid 1, Pusa Hybrid 2,

Pusa Hybrid 4, Pusa Hybrid 8 and

Pusa Divya

Hybrid Seed Production of Tomato Under Low Cost Polyhouse

Deflorated male flower with

dry pollen grainPollination by hand

Tagged and tied pollinated female flower

Benefits from hybrid vegetable seed

production

Crop Yield (Kg/ 500 sq.mt.)

Returns (Rs)

Brinjal 2.0-2.5 30-40,000/-

Cauliflower & Tomato

15 50,000/-

100000/-

Benefits from Seed production

Crop Yield

(kg / acre)

Net profit

(in Rs)

Marigold 70 – 80 90,000 –1,00,000

Bottle gourd (Hybrid seed)

32-35 35000- 40000

Hybrid rice seed production FARMERS’ LEARNING

• PRINCIPLES OF HYBRID SEED PRODUCTION

• STAGGERED SOWING OF MALE AND FEMALE PARENTAL LINES

• TRANSPLANTING MALE AND FEMALE PLANTS IN ROWS (2:6)

• MANAGING SYNCHRONIZATION OF FLOWERING AND FACILITATING POlLINATION WITH MECHANICAL PROCESS OF SWEEPING WITH ROPE & APPLICATION OF GA3

• MANAGING GENETIC PURITY WITH ISOLATION DISTANCE, PHYSICAL BARRIER, STAGGERED PLANTING TIME, RECURRENT ROUGING

• HARVESTING WITH CAUTION TO ENSURE SEED PURITY

• SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE AND LESSONS LEARNT

• HIGHER INCOME / UNIT AREA• AVAILABILITY OF HYBRID SEED:

FARMER-TO-FARMER EXCHANGEProfitability : ~ Rs.90000/acre

( @ 4.0 q hybrid seed + 6.0q rice / acre )

Summer squash crop being grown under

low tunnels in complete off-season

C.P.C.T., IARI

Off-season summer squash crop after removal of

plastic in first week of February

High quality produce of Summer Squash

Plastic Low Tunnel for Off- Season Vegetable Cultivation

Expected Economic Benefits/Returns under Greenhouse Cultivation Technology (per 1000m2)

Crop

Estimated Yield (t)

%

increase

in yield

Estimated Net Returns (Rs)

% increase

in Net Returns

Under Open field

Under Protected

Under Open field

Under Protected

Tomato2.0 -2.5

15.0 -20.0 678

5000-6000

30000-40000 536

Capsicum1.0 -1.5 5.0 - 6.0 340

4000-5000

40000-50000 900

Cucumber1.5 -2.0

10.0 -12.0 678

3000-4000

50000-60000 1471

Average cost of preparing green house : Rs 600 per sqm

Mandays generated under protected cultivation:

Tomato-1500; capsicum-1800 and Cucumber-1200

PLUG-TRAY NURSERY RAISING TECHNOLOGY FOR VEGETABLES

CPCT, IARI, NEW DELHI

Capacity building of vegetable growers : Net house

nursery, IPM

Impact: Developed seedlings 15 days earlier with

minimal mortality and earned premium benefit of Rs 15-20 thousand extra per acre.

Economic Analysis of Nursery Raising under Low

Cost Greenhouse

Area of

Nursery

No of

seedlings in

one batch

(30 days)

lakhs

No of

batches

per year

Total no of

seedling per

year

(lakhs)

Average

cost of

production

per

seedling

(Rs)

Net

profit

(lakhs)

Employment

Generation

(man days)

500 m2 2.0-2.5 6 12.0-15.0 0.30 2.5-3.0 600

•Average sale price per seedling: Rs 0.50

•Cost of erecting 500 sqm nursery structure : Rs 3.5-4.0 lakh

Conclusions

Our experiences , particularly of the past 3 years, have established

• a) superiority of our varieties and hybrids

• b) eagerness of farmers to adopt new varieties and technologies demonstrated

• c) willingness of farmers to take up agribusiness

• d) demonstration,awareness, training and skill development as key factors