The Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development has undertaken a number of programmes in Okhamandal and Babrala to propagate new farming techniques and enhance agricultural productivity

Okhamandal
Although Okhamandal is a drought-prone area, agriculture dominates the economic lives of its people. Drought aside, the region suffers from having a shallow soil cover that is alkaline and saline, a condition that is worsened by irrigation that uses water containing dissolved solids.

All these factors, plus the effect of saline sea winds, makes agriculture extremely difficult here. But farmers have braved the conditions to raise bajra (pearl millet), jowar and fodder and, in pockets where water for irrigation is available, groundnuts and chillies.

Among the various programmes undertaken to improve the returns from agriculture, introducing farmers to new crop varieties and technology has been the most important.

TCSRD educates farmers on soil composition, new farming techniques and the most appropriate crop varieties, crop inputs and methods of pest management. Training and awareness programmes are also carried out to ensure that agricultural production is maintained at a profitable and sustainable level.

The Society runs a land-reclamation programme, strongly promotes horticulture, and works at increasing the productivity of land by making use of better irrigation techniques.

Among those who have interacted with the farmers are experts on agronomy, entomology, petrology, pathology and horticulture from the Gujarat Agriculture University, Junagadh, representatives from the Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation and private seed companies.

Babrala
TCSRD's main objective in this region is to promote the systematic and organised development of agriculture. Many farmers here have small or marginal land holdings. This makes it imperative that output be increased.

A number of programmes have been taken up for the benefit of the farmers. Among the more important are improving the quality of the land under cultivation, and using quality seeds and inputs to enhance agricultural returns.

The agriculture growth scheme seeks to set standards in productivity and adopt growth measures, which include the use of high-quality seeds, the balanced use of fertilisers, implementation of modern methods of irrigation, pest and weed control, and modern sowing techniques.

A land-reclamation initiative has also been introduced in Babrala. This involves changing the character of saline or alkaline soil to make it fit for farming. The project, which was kicked off in 1993, has seen nearly 400 acres of land that was never tilled being brought under cultivation.

The process of this land consolidation, as it is known, is regularly monitored and the reclamation treatment is a continuous programme. The long-term objective of the programme is to make nearly all of the non-productive land around the Babrala complex cultivable.