- NIRMAN is a grassroots environmental group working on conservation, ecological agriculture, and sustainable livelihoods through literacy programs. - They are implementing several "System of..." initiatives including the Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) which promotes growing sugarcane with less inputs and water using techniques like nursery raising, wider spacing, and organic nutrient management. - SSI aims to address problems sugarcane farmers face like rising costs, low yields, water depletion, and climate vulnerabilities. It has led to higher yields, lower costs, and additional incomes from intercropping compared to conventional practices.

1. Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative
SDTT Partner’s Meet,
Bodhagaya, 24, Jan, 2012
NIRMAN is a grassroots environmental action group
works for the conservation of bio-diversity; promotes
ecological agriculture & sustainable livelihood models
through livelihood related functional literacy system

2. SRI in collaboration with SDTT
Accomplishment: 2009-10 to 2011-12
217 numbers of farmers use indigenous paddy seeds under
SRI cultivation

3. NIRMAN involves in…
Implementation activities:
• System for Rice Intensification (SRI)
• Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI)
• System for Wheat Intensification (SWI)
• System for Crop Intensification (SCI-Millets)
• Millet based farming system
• Organic Farming
• Environment Education

4. Sugarcane in Odisha…

5. Problems of Sugarcane Farmers
• Rising cost of cultivation- Economic unviable
• Low market price
• Water table depleting year after year
(1500-3000 litres/1 kg of cane)
• Unavailability of good quality seed material
• Increased pest and negligence in plant
protection measures
• Improper cultivation practices
• Imbalanced nutrient management and other
practices like mono cropping often result in
low productivity
• Unpredictable climatic aberrations

6. Socio-economic Status of Farmers’ & Climate in Odisha…
•According to a report published by National Sample Survey
Organization, Government of India in 2005, titled “Situation
Assessment Survey- Indebtedness of Farmer Households”, 48% of
farmer households in Odisha are indebted. Of these households
approximately 70% have less than one hectare of land.
•The per capita debt is Rs 9316 in Orissa[2]. A trend of debt bound
marginal, small and landless farmers’ suicide cases due to crop loss have
gradually emerged in the State.
•During the 1950s, only 3 districts were drought-prone. By the 1980s,
the whole of western Odisha, consisting of five districts, became
drought-prone. During the 1990s, 15 of the 30 districts became
drought-prone. And for 2010-11, 17 districts out of 30 were declared
as drought prone[1].
[1]
“The Samaj” (a premier Odiya daily), 16th December 2011;
[2]
As stated by Finance Minister, Govt. of Odisha on 6th December 2010 in Assembly questionnaire session.

7. Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative(SSI):
‘More (sugarcane) With Less (inputs and water)’
A new paradigm in Sugarcane: SRI
showed a way- WWF-ICRISAT
It is an innovative
agronomic set of practices
to increase the cane yields
significantly which involves
using
• less seeds
• raising of nursery
• following new planting methods
• with wider spacing
• better water
• nutrient management

8. Basic Principles of SSI
1. Raising nursery using single
budded chips
2. Transplanting young seedlings
(25-35 days old)
3. Maintaining wider spacing (5X2 ft)
in the main field
4. Avoiding inundation of water and
providing sufficient moisture
5. Encouraging organic method of
nutrient and plant protection
measures
6. Practicing intercropping with
effective utilization of land

9. ……. Contd.
• Adopt integrated nutrition management as opposed to pure chemical method
of cultivation
– Seed treated with a composite solution of cow urine and lime
– Nutrient supplied vermicompost, jeevamrut, along with relative 60%
reduced quantity of Urea & DAP
– Chemical Input Management costs Rs 2500/- whereas our INM approach
costed only Rs 1200/-
Bud treatment – Cow urine, lime Drying the Bud chips
and water solution

10. We have brought changes adaptive to local resources…
Used raw coco-pith with farm yard manure and/or vermicompost for
seedling preparation
Vermi-compost well and Coco-pith
Material/Particulars Cost
Processed Coco-pith Rs
(Rs 14/kg for 1 Qntl/Acre) 1400/-
Raw Coco-pith + Vermicompost Rs 260/-
( 80 Kg + 20 Kg )
Coco-pith sieve net
Raw Coco-pith + FYM Rs 210/-
(80 Kg + 20 Kg)
Raw Coco-pith + FYM + Rs 240/-
Vermicompost
(70 Kg + 20 Kg+ 10 Kg)

11. …Contd
• Experimented with spacing from standard 5ft to varied space of 4ft, 3ft and 2ft
as well.
Spacing No. of tillers Length of Height Girth (in Cm) Weight
internodes
B M T
4 ft 08 10 cm 373 cm 7.5 7.1 6.3 2.1 kg
3 ft 08 7.5 cm 357 cm 7.2 6.0 5.2 1.95 kg
2 ft 06 5.5 cm 330 cm 6.7 6.0 4.9 1.7 kg

12. benefits experienced...
Particulars Conventional SSI
Seed 76,800 nodes 5,600-6,500 buds
Rs 14400/- Rs 1300/-
Water 24 hrs/day for 4 days: 8 hrs/day for 3 days: 4
8 times in a crop cycle times in a crop cycle
Labour (including 1190 person-days/ 136 person-days / 648
irrigation) 1776 hrs in a crop hrs
cycle
Per Acre Cost Rs 21,244/- Rs 7200/-
Intercropping Nil Possible
(Bonus for Farmer)

13. and a success story…
• The group of 13 members has taken Sugarcane cultivation (IGP) in
traditional method investing around Rs 86,350/- for 3.5 acres inclusive
of costs like land lease (Rs 42,000) cost, seed, irrigation, fertiliser, labour
(excluding self labour of 789 person-days)
At the same time 9 out of 13 members has taken the initiative for SSI in
78 decimil and invested Rs 14,420/- inclusive similar costs like (Rs
9000/- for land lease), labour (excluding self labour of 63 person-days)
Estimating for 25 decimal cost investment they spent 3 times more
on traditional approach along with 3 times more time investment.
•The average production they harvested from traditional fields is 32 ton/
acre. While from SSI fields it was more than 46 ton/acre.
•The bonus they gained from SSI through intercropping has been
estimated to Rs 16400/- which includes okra, cowpea, cucumber and
jute

14. SSI MANUAL RELEASE in Oriya
13 April 2010

15. 2009-12: SSI in Orissa
with AgSRI Agriculture services Pvt Ltd support…
Horizontal expansion of SSI
2009 2010 2011 2012
District 1 3 3 6
Block 1 5 10 16
Panchayat 2 6 25 43
Village 7 17 40 81
Farmers 20 56 365 610
Acre(s) 4 29.73 205 350
Type of Farmers covered in Intervention
Farmer Medium Small Marginal Landless Share
Category farmers farmers Farmers Farmers croppers
% of Farmers 3.57 7.14 66 25 58
in 2010
% of Farmers 0 35 55 10 55
in 2011

16. Type of Land, Cane Variety & Relative Productivity
Cane Variety No. of
Farmers
CO-6907 125
86-V-96 14
83-R-23 12
1053 03
Raghunath 01
Nilamadhab 01
Cane Productivity Vs Type of Land
Land Type Low Medium Upland Biswanath 03
Cane Yield 46 60 54
Charchika 01
(MT/ha)

17. The Strategic Interventions…
…from October 2010 to till date
•60 village meetings
•1287 individual interactions
•30 nos. of Farmers’ training at the bud
chipping, seedling preparation and
transplantation site covered 639
Video documentation
farmers’
•Participation in State level •30 nos. of SSI demonstration
Agriculture Fair with ATMA, • 21 nos. of Knowledge Sharing Meets
Nayagarh •7 Block level SSI Experience sharing
•Participation in District level workshop
Exhibition at Nayagarh & Boudh
Providing Technical support to Dept. of
Agriculture, Nayagarh for 20010-11 &
2011-12 and under RKVY-Sugarcane Devp.
Prog. and the same to Bargarh in 2012. Dr. Loga’s interaction with
govt. officials

18. Expansion Plan of SSI in 2012…
SSI district
6 Districts
16 Blocks
43 Panchayats
81 Villages
610 Farmers
350 Acres
Liaison office
Regd. office

19. Photo Gallery
Bud Chipping
Raising seedling as IGA
Preparing organic manure Transplantation in progress

20. Photo Gallery
Interaction at field
promoting SSI
Experience sharing workshop SSI Training camp

21. Photo Gallery of SRI

22. Women in Organic- SRI

23. Thank you…