Local NGOs provided the day to day technical support to the farmers.
The entire programme was anchored with the Federations of Women Self Help Groups. The women have effectively managed the programme.
SERP provided the financial support and administrative support for the programme.
The three years of partnership of CSA with SERP, NGOs, Federations of Women Self Help Groups and Farmers in providing hand-holding-support to promote ecological farming practices has created confidence among the people that farming can produce an income and be sustainable. In many villages the farmers, who gave up farming and migrated to cities are returning back to their villages. This partnership could also increase the technical skills of the SHG groups. From 2008-09, a withdrawal strategy is initiated in several villages, SHGs are handling the programme on their own. Today the programme is being managed by the Women SHGs.
(The writer is executive director of Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and can be contacted at gvramanjaneyulu@gamil.com)
