Partnership for Technological Empowerment and Sustainable Livelihood for Smallholder Farmers in the Rainfed Upland Ecosystems of Odisha

Abstract

The project ‘Introduction and Expansion of Improved Pigeonpea (Arhar) Production Technology in Rainfed Upland Ecosystems of Odisha’ is funded by the Government of Odisha under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) sub-scheme 353 No. 15(03)/19/2011. This was approved on 23 May 2011 for a period of 4 years (2011-2014) with a total budget of Rs 10.253 crores (US $ 2.29 million) to cover five districts (Bolinger, Boudh, Kalahandi, Nauparha and Rayagada). The project was officially launched on 9 August 2011 at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) headquarters in Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India. There is an enormous potential for the expansion of high-yielding short- and medium-duration pigeonpea varieties and hybrids in the rainfed areas of Odisha. However, majority of farmers in these rainfed upland ecosystems do not have access to improved pigeonpea cultivars and management practices. Thus, this project is being implemented through a farmer participatory approach towards developing sustainable livelihoods in the State through improved pigeonpea production