Philippine Agriculture Delegation Visits ICRISAT-led Project Sites in India
Research, development and policy stakeholders from the Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) recently embarked on an exposure visit to various ICRISAT-led project sites in India for cross-cultural exchange and learning.
The eight-day visit, which spanned Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and ICRISAT Headquarters in Hyderabad, Telangana, provided insights into innovative climate-smart agricultural practices and effective water and soil management technologies.
Exploring Soil and Water Management in Uttar Pradesh
The delegation began their visit in Nota village, Tahrauli Tehsil, Uttar Pradesh, where they engaged with members of the ‘Progressive Bundelkhand Farmer Producer Company’ (FPC). During the visit, the group discussed the FPC’s activities and initiatives, gaining valuable insights into how ICRISAT supports local farmers by organizing them as FPOs and FPCs. Dr Ramesh Singh, ICRISAT’s Principal Scientist & Cluster Head, provided an in-depth overview of the soil and water management challenges affecting 40 villages in the region, further enriching the delegation's understanding of the critical issues faced by the community.
In Bhadokhar village, Jhansi district, the delegation was introduced to various rainwater conservation methods, including the rejuvenation of traditional rainwater harvesting structures known as haveli cultivation, and learned about the importance of these structures in preventing soil erosion. Dr Rohan Khopade, Horticulture Scientist, ICRISAT, explained fruit-based agroforestry practices, while Dr Ashok Shukla, Scientific Officer, ICRISAT, highlighted the benefits of the equipment installed by ICRISAT, such as the Automatic Weather Station (AWS), Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR) for measuring soil moisture, a groundwater-level indicator, and runoff measuring devices.
The exploration continued with visits to rainwater conservation projects in other parts of Uttar Pradesh, such as Sutta and Singar villages in Jhansi and Pura Birdha in Lalitpur. Here, the delegation heard firsthand accounts from local farmers about the positive impacts of ICRISAT’s initiative.
The delegation also interacted with public representatives, including Mr Anurag Sharma, Member of Parliament, and Mr Junaid Ahmad, Chief Development Officer of Jhansi, to understand the role of local and national administration in the successful implementation of projects.
Understanding the Impacts of the Odisha Livelihood Mission
The visit then moved to Odisha, where the delegation explored several model sites facilitated by ICRISAT under the Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM). In Odisha, they observed the role of women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in successful enterprises, such as the Dwarf Coconut Nursery, which produces 100,000 seedlings annually, and ventures into ornamental nurseries and apiculture as alternative livelihoods.
A standout initiative was the Waste-to-Wealth Management project. The delegation learned about this community-driven project, which transforms waste into valuable resources. In addition to converting invasive water hyacinth into compost, they also saw how the initiative has transformed the community by maintaining clean water bodies and using the compost to grow organic vegetables.
ICRISAT Headquarters and Future Collaborations
Concluding their visit at ICRISAT's headquarters in Hyderabad, the delegation explored state-of-the-art facilities, including the Genebank, Agromet Lab, Living Lab, Center of Excellence in Climate Change Research for Plant Protection, Center of Excellence in Genomics and Systems Biology, and the Agri-Business Incubation Center. The group also interacted with ICRISAT scientists and Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General-Research.
"This visit provided a valuable opportunity for knowledge exchange and highlighted the success of ICRISAT’s innovative, context-specific strategies in tackling dryland agricultural challenges and improving livelihoods across Asia, Africa, and beyond," noted Dr Blade.
Over the course of eight days (19-26 July 2024), the delegation visited several ICRISAT-led projects across various provinces in India. This provided an opportunity to reflect on the model sites and explore how these approaches could be adapted to their own regions.
Kris Thea Marie Hernandez, Senior Agriculturist at the Bureau of Agricultural Research in the Philippines, underscored the group's commitment to applying learnings from the visit to their local communities, particularly in rainfed areas, in pursuit of the Philippine Department of Agriculture’s goal to increase agricultural productivity and ensure food security.
During the retrospective gathering after the visit, Dr M.L. Jat, Global Research Program Director for Resilient Farm and Food Systems, emphasized the importance of cross-learning and praised the team for their bottom-up approach. Dr Ramesh Singh, Cluster Leader of the ICRISAT Development Center and Principal Scientist for Landscape Resource Conservation, supported Dr Jat's remarks on cross-learning and highlighted the opportunity to learn from the Philippines' high coconut production.
The Philippines delegation expressed their gratitude to ICRISAT for the support and opportunity.
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