anaymalpani

1. Reaching Women Farmers with quality
seeds and engaging women in seed
production
PRAGATI, KORAPUT EXPERIENCES
12June-2019

2. PRAGATI, KORAPUT
Established in 1994
Working in South Odisha, India
Vision:
To establish a society free
from hunger and
exploitation where every
have rights to dignified
means of livelihood ensuring
ecological balance.

3. THE LIVELIHOOD CONTEXT
• 83.61 % population below poverty line
• Average land holding 1.68 ha
• 91% of lands are rain fed with undulating
terrains
• Erratic rainfall, lack of irrigation
• 46% house holds lack access to safe drinking
water
• Climate Change with recurrent natural
disasters
• Unemployment leading to distress migration

4. PRAGATI INTERVENTIONS
 Empowerment of Community
Institutions
 Demonstration of soil and water
conservation models
 Creation of Eco-friendly Irrigation
infrastructures
 Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture
 Value addition & marketing
 Linkage with Government Flagship
programmes

5. Partners

6. CONTEXT & ISSUES IN SEED SECTOR
 Lack of availability of quality seeds
 Extinction of varieties suitable to the local geo-climate
 Seeds are becoming the ‘property’ of the private sector
and big business.
 Lack of scientific knowledge on quality seed production
and conservation.
 No scope for enhancing women farmers’ practices,
choices and concerns in the realms of biodiversity and
seed production.
 Policies are not conducive to promote the development
of diverse sources of seed supply
 Research institutions are yet to reach out to the farmers
 Intellectual property rights & regimes such as breeders’
rights and patents make it illegal for farmers to reuse

7. Changing seed systems- Impact on
women
 Degradation of their knowledge systems and
innovation capacity
 Promotion of hybrid and high yielding seed
varieties have driven women out of the seed
system.
 Undermining women’s status and intra-
household bargaining power as their role in
seed and grain management is eroded by
market forces
 Seed regulations hamper farmer-to-farmer seed
exchanges that have been shown to reinforce

8.  Farm Saved seeds
 Peer farmers
 Local dealers
 Whole sale dealers
 Government
 NGOs
 LAMP
 Research institutions

9. Women in seed production and conservation-
The Rationale
 Women play a key role in agriculture i.e. more than 70% of
work done by women .
 Seeds are critical in the food chain and women’s role as seed
savers and breeders have been largely responsible for self-
reliance in seed, crop diversity and nutrition
 A systematic seed production plan, involving farmwomen
will help in the conservation of the rich germ plasm.
 It holds the key to food and livelihood security especially
in the wake of climatic changes.
 Can develop women entrepreneurship.

10. Strategy & Interventions
• Skill development of women farmers on improved
technologies with seed to seed approach
• Use Women Friendly disseminaton methods
• Formation of Women Farmers’ Collectives and FPC
• Production and Conservation of seeds at Individual
Farmers Level.
• Introduced improved and stress tolerant varieties of
seeds through cluster demonstrations and H2H trials
• Establishment of Seed Villages
• Creation of seed banks and improved storage systems
• Seed festivals for seed exchange among farmers
• Creating opportunities for cross learning

16. Outcomes
• Increased access and awareness of women on
quality seeds.
• Women farmers acquiring skills in production and
conservation of seeds.
• Revival of indigenous seed varieties.
• Adaptation of stress tolerant varieties by women.
• Improved storage systems
• Women Collectives and FPC organized for agriculture
value chain
• FPC markets seeds- Average 500nt of seeds in a year
• Reaching to more farmers through seed exchange.

17. Learning and Way Forward
• Raise awareness on the benefits of quality seed
• Developing Effective Communication and extension
strategies
• Community-based seed enterprises through women
collectives to be based on marketing and profitability to
ensure sustainability
• Research Institutions and Public sector can play important
role in the development of the seed sector
• Engagement with different stakeholders including
Government .
• Help farmers develop seed certification schemes based on
local criteria to guarantee seed quality and to favor the
circulation of farmers’ seeds at the regional level
• Develop Monitoring and evaluation systems

18. Thanks
Contact
PRAGATI,KORAPT ,Pujariput, Koraput- 764020
Web : www.pragatikoraput.org
Mail : pragatikoraput@gmail.com