Farmers’ Jury on “Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India” begins in Bhubaneswar

A 3-day Farmers’ Jury on Future of Agricultural Development & Improvement of Livelihoods in Eastern India, in the context of “Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India”

Venue- Adivasi Exhibition Ground, Unit-1,

Bhubaneswar, Odisha

 

JURY MEMBERS’ PROFILES

 

JHARKHAND

 

1. Kaushalya Devi (38 years), SHG leader, President of District Dairy Board, from Dhanwe Purana village, Sonaraithadi block, Deogarh district of Jharkhand. Owns 2 acres of land and has studied uptil Matric. In one part of her land, does only organic cultivation. Grows paddy, wheat, maize, pulses, mustard, vegetables etc., in addition to livestock rearing (2 cows). Part of her land is irrigated through a well.

 

2. Amardev Singh (40 years), from Hutukdag village of Palamau district of Jharkhand. He owns 7 acres of land with one acre irrigated by well. He grows paddy, maize, pigeonpea, channa and other pulses, til, wheat etc. He uses chemicals in his farming. He is a Kharwar ST farmer.

 

WEST BENGAL

 

3. Mahadeo Das (38 years) from Khaserveri village in Singur, West Bengal. Used to own 4 acres of land – now has 16 decimels’ land. Grows paddy and vegetables on his irrigated land and takes 4 crops a year. His farming is chemical-based.

 

4. Gouri Mondal (40 years) from Indraprastha village, 24 Parganas (South) district of West Bengal. Owns 5 beeghas of land, out of which 3 beeghas is cultivated through organic practices. Her farming is rainfed, where she grows paddy and pulses in a relay cropping system, with the help of 2 farm ponds.

 

5. Maino Pauria (37 years) from Bhoorkuda village in Purulia district of West Bengal: No education. 3 beeghas of rainfed agriculture on which they grow paddy, wheat, pulses, mustard etc. One farm pond on the land also provides fisheries. For two years now, she has been taking up only organic farming. She also takes up agricultural labour work in addition to broom-making and selling, poultry and livestock rearing. She is an adivasi farmer.

 

CHATTISGARH

 

6. Anasuya Korram (39 years): From Khondra village in Bilaspur district. Does not own any land herself and stays with her maternal family which owns 3 acres of land, all of which is rainfed. Paddy, chickpea etc., are the main crops grown. Their cultivation is organic. She is a Gond.

 

7. Bhagoli Ram (57 years): From Bindra Nawagarh village in Gariaband district. They own 6 acres of land, all of which is unirrigated. The family grows millets like kodo, in addition to paddy, blackgram and other pulses. Their farming is chemical-based.

 

ASSAM

 

8. Dalimi Medhi (40 years), from Phakatpada village, Baksa district of Assam: 10 acres of land – all rainfed and organic. She grows paddy. She is a SHG leader and is educated till Class X.

 

9. Satyonarain Das (39 years), from Amayapur village of Baksa district of Assam: 9 acres of land with one acre irrigated. He raises fish and broiler chicken in addition to growing bamboo, betelnut, coconut, paddy. He is the President of All Assam Farmers’ Club and takes up chemical farming. He studied upto Higher Secondary.

 

 

BIHAR

 

10. Usha Singh, from Sakri Saraiyya village of Muzaffarpur district of Bihar. 5 acres of land, with 3 acres irrigated. She grows paddy, wheat, vegetables, potato etc. She is a graduate and her farming is chemical-based. She is associated with an organization called Hanuman Prasad Grameen Vikas Seva Samiti.

 

11. Vidya Bhushan, Bihar: From Sabli village of Gopalganj district of Bihar. 3.5 acres of land which is all irrigated with a tubewell. A socialist activist who was an MLA once. He grows wheat, paddy, potato, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and mango trees in chemical-based farming. Intermediate Pass.

 

 

EASTERN UTTAR PRADESH

 

12. Jaiprakash Singh (47 years) from Tadiya village of Benares district, Uttar Pradesh. 5 acres of irrigated land on which he grows paddy, pigeonpea, wheat, greenpeas, potato etc., over 3 seasons. He cultivates with organic practices in 4 acres and with chemicals in one acre. He is also a seed breeder.

 

ODISHA

 

13. Joseph Tete (40 years) of Lepeikani village of Sambalpur district. Owns 4 acres of land, out of which around 70 decimels gets irrigated with a well. He grows paddy, chilli, potato, vegetables etc., in his chemical-based farming. He is from the Kharia community (ST).

 

14. Radhika Sisa (about 50 years) of Bapanpalli village of Malkangiri district. She is a dryland farmer – 5 acres of land. She grows rainfed paddy, millets, pigeonpea, cowpea etc. She is a Koya farmer.

 

 

 

Date – 15th -17th March 2012.

DAY 1: MARCH 15TH 2012

10.30 am – 10.40 am

Welcome

Shri Debjeet Sarangi, Living Farms

10.40 am – 11.00 am

What is this Farmers’ Jury and how will it run?

Kavitha Kuruganti, ASHA –

11.00 am – 11. 35 am

Presentation on BGREI, its objectives, strategies and plans

Dr K S Rao, Head of Dept – Crop Production, CRRI, Cuttack

11.35 am – 12.05 pm

Translation & Questions

12.05pm-12.40pm

The vision & plan of Govt. of India, with regard to BGREI.

Dr. Satya Vir Singh, Consultant(Agronomy), BGREI & GOI representative

12.40 pm – 01.05 pm

Translation & Questions

01.05 pm – 02.00 pm LUNCH BREAK

02.00 pm – 02.35pm

Our vision for future of agricultural development and farmers’ livelihoods in eastern India

Ms Anuradha Talwar, Paschim Banga Khet Mazoor

Sangh

02.35pm – 03.05pm

Translation & Questions

03.05 pm – 03.40pm

Chemicalisation of Eastern Indian Agriculture: What does the future hold?

Shri Gopikrishna, Sustainable Agriculture campaigner, Greenpeace India

03.40pm-04.05pm

Translation & Questions

04.05 pm – 04.40pm

Program & Policy of BGREI with special reference to Odisha

Shri Gyanendra Nath Mohanty, Jt Director-Agriculture, Govt of Odisha

04.40 pm – 05.00 pm

Translation & Questions

05.00 pm – 05.35 pm

Folk varieties of rice : concerns with hybrid rice

Dr Debal Deb, Centre for Inter-Disciplinary Studies

05.35 pm – 06.00 pm

Translation & Questions

DAY 2: MARCH 16TH 2012

09.30 am – 10.15 am

Hybrid Rice and its advantages

Shri P K Jena, Syngenta, Odisha*

10.15am-10.45am

Translation & Questions

10.45 am – 11.30 am

Green Revolution and its aftermath in Punjab

Shri Umendra Dutt, Kheti Virasat Mission, Punjab

11.30 am – 12.00 am

Translation & Questions

12.00 – 12.45 pm

Presentation on Fact Finding on Hybrid Rice and Hybrid Maize in Odisha

Shri Debjeet Sarangi, Living Farms

12.45 pm -01.15

Translation & Questions

01.00pm – 02.00 pm LUNCH BREAK

02.00 pm – 02.45 pm

System of rice intensification and farmers’ empowerment

Shri Jagdish Pradhan, Sahbhagi Vikas Abhiyan

02.45pm – 03.15pm

Translation & Questions

03.15 pm – 04.00 pm

My personal experience of changing my agriculture

Ms Meenakshi, women’s self help group member and farmer, Srikakulam

04.30 pm – 05.00 pm

Translation & Questions

05.00pm – 05.45pm

Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture: Experience of smallholder livelihood improvement in Andhra Pradesh

Shri K Ramachandram, district level official of CMSA

05.45pm-06.15pm

Translation & Questions

6.15-7.00

Agrarian distress in Odisha & Second Green Revolution

Shri Saroj Mohanty, Paschim Odisha Krushak Sanghatan

7.00-7.30

Translation & Questions

DAY 3: MARCH 17TH 2012

8.30am-9.15am

Vision for agricultural transformation for Eastern India

Dr S S Nanda, Dean of Extension Education, OUAT

09.15 am – 09.45 am

Translation &Questions

09.45 am – 10.30 am

Biodiversity based integrated farming for sustainable livelihoods in Eastern India

Shri Ardhendu Chatterjee, DRCSC, West Bengal.

10.30am-11.00am

Translation and Questions

11.00 am – 03.30 pm

JURY INTERNAL DELIBERATIONS

Discussion amongst various participants in smaller groups

03.30 pm – 04.30 pm

JURY’S VERDICT

04.30 pm – 05.00 pm

Overseers’ observations on the entire process

Prafulla Das- Principal Correspondent of The Hindu

Sashi Prabha Bindhani, Lawyer

05.00 pm – 05.30 pm

Wrapping up

Ms Hemlata Sahu, MSKPP, Chattisgarh