The document outlines the International Livestock Research Institute's (ILRI) initiatives in South Asia aimed at supporting under-served farmers through self-help groups (SHGs) in Bihar. Key activities include feed assessment, training on feeding strategies, and efforts to include women in dairy farming, with significant involvement from local SHGs. The strategy focuses on enhancing livestock integration into cereal systems, improving feed practices, and reviving inactive SHGs while fostering collaboration with various stakeholders.

1. Engaging with Self Help Groups in South
Asia: ILRI's example of leveraging existing
social capital to reach under-served
farmers.
CSISA Objective 1 Planning Meeting
Kathmandu, Nepal
23 - 25 January, 2013
Arindam Samaddar, Nils Teufel, Michael Blummel, Iain Wright, Purvi Mehta
International Livestock Research Institute

2. ILRI CSISA Activities
CSISA I – Better integration of livestock in the cereal system
through residue use efficiency
Field based
• Development of feeding strategy - Effective utilization of used and
underutilized straw (different crops) into feeding trials
• Training on feeds and feeding of dairy animals
• Data collection of farmers perception on straw and stover quality
Laboratory based
• Analysis of straw in coordination with research platform
CSISA II – Up scaling interventions and training

3. Bihar CSISA-ILRI Activities
• Feed assessment
• Analysis of nutritional balance in
dairy ration
• Develop feeding strategy
• Training on feeds and feeding of
dairy animals (emphasis on under
and non utilized residues as feed)
• Balanced feeding trial: improved
feed

4. Bihar approach
• Collaboration with PACS for farmer led
experimental feeding trial
• Looking for options to include women in
different activities
• Inclusion of women with the help of SHG, milk
producer samiti and PACS

5. Present status
• Lakshmi Alp Bachat SHG: leading improved feed
preparation and distribution
• 400 farmers participated from 21 PACS and 31
SHGs
– 109 women farmers
– 255 farmers purchasing new feed
– 72 farmers adopted outside trials
– 142 women participated in training
– 64 farmers adopted new practice after training
• More demand of new improved feed :
impossible to handle by manual mixing

6. On-going work plan
• Main collaboration with SHGs
– Finding facts and figures of SHGs
• 2000 SHGs in Samastipur district: NABARD, NGOs, Foundations, Mithila Milk
Union, Banks, welfare departments
• Major activities: Dairy, Goatry, Poultry, tailoring, bee keeping
• But only 1250 SHGs are active
• 9 out 31 is operating with Bank
– Current strategy
• Choosing best SHGs: Business plans and support establishing Mixer grinder for
feed manufacturing
• Arrangements of revolving funds to meet the demand
• Technical backstopping from CSISA
• Exit strategy within 30 months
• Reviving non-active SHGs
• Expanding other block and district with SHGs
– Tajpur block [50(29Active)] of Samastipur & Muraul block [205(15Active)] of
Muzaffarpur
• Finding potential SHGs: Jeevika, Kisan Club, COMFED, Bank

7. Scope
• Identify potential SHGs – capacity, interest
• Developing business plans and innovation
platform for technology prioritization,
upscaling and outscaling activities:
– Holistic approach: crop-livestock integration in the
mixed farming system
– Smallholder households
– Targeting gender
– Targeting scale