*Innovative Sugarcane farming practice boon for Odisha farmers*Friday,
January 13, 2012
http://orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=31380

[image: Innovative Sugarcane farming practice boon for Odisha farmers] *
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*Report by OrissaDiary.com bureau; Bhubaneswar:*Farmers cultivating
Sugarcane in a new innovative method called Sustainable Sugarcane
Initiative (SSI)in Nayagarh, Ganjam and Baragada shared their experience in
recently concluded State Level Workshop on Sustainable Sugarcane
Initiative(SSI)organized by NIRMAN and AgSri in Bhubaneswar.

In traditional method of sugarcane cultivation, farmers spent Rs. 12,000
per acres whereas in SSI the cost of cultivation in seed declines
considerably. In the new method of SSI Farmers only take the bud of
sugarcane and raise it in nursery and transplant in the field. In the new
SSI method Farmer’s not only save Rs. 12,000/- per acre in Seeds but also
save in water, labour and at the same time get a bonus from intercropping
as the practice gives spaces between rows and plants. NabaKishor Das 48
yers old farmer of Khairapati has earned Rs. 5200 from intercrops and Rs.
26000 from sale of buds to other farmers. The SSI method was introduced by
NIRMAN a grass root organization working in Nayagarh. The organization has
simplified the method suit to local conditions The raw cocopith has been
experimented for nursery raising and organization has been successful in it
resulting farmers cost in nursery raising reduced to 12 to 24 %.

During last 10 years, sugarcane production in Odisha has been declining
around 50% of production & productivity level is less than 32 tones/ha
which is less than the national average of 40 tonnes/ hectare. The
requirement of water in the sugarcane is 2000 to 3000 litre for producing 1
kg of Sugarcane. The cost of cultivation in seeds, manures, labour
traditional method of sugarcane farming is more. SSI aims to provide
practical option to farmers in improving the productivity of land, water
and labor. It responds to organic manure as well.  Hence SSI reduces
overall pressure on natural resources and contributes to recovery of
ecosystem.

Shri Aurobindo Behera, IAS, Member Board of Revenue, Mr. Ambika Nanda,
State Program Officer, UNDP, Shri G.N. Mohanty, Jt. Director, Agriculture,
Dr.P.K.Nayak , Prof Radhamohan, environmentalist, Mr. Prasant Mohanty of
NIRMAN participated in the workshop. Prasant Mohanty, of  Nirman presented
the experience of SSI in the workshop followed by experience sharing by
farmers cultivating SSI. Successful farmer Shri Nishakar Pradhan from
Ganjam, Shri Duryodhan Champatray of Nayagarh and Shri Dhaneswar Sahoo from
Baragada were awarded in the function. More than hundred farmers from
various dist participated in the state level workshop on SSI.  One of
interesting innovation by NIRMAN was use of raw Coco pith with manure mixed
are being used in nursery raising otherwise it would have cost more for
procuring processed cocopith. The participants in the workshop opined that
Govt. should take the learning of successful experiment of SSI and upscale
it in big ways. More than 100 farmers participated in the workshop.