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Community Based Livelihood Development Programme in Siran Valley (CBLDP):
The objective of the project was “Increased food and livelihood security for poor and vulnerable communities”.
Project was designed to address food security and livelihood problems being faced by poor and vulnerable people in the earthquake affected areas of Mansehra District. The project was meant tocontribute to Pakistan’s progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, particularly MDG 1 (eradicating extreme poverty and hunger) and MDG 7 (ensuring environmental sustainability gained while working on food security issues in the areas of Siran Valley District Mansehra affected by the October 2005 earthquake. This experience has enabled Concern and HAASHAR to gain a comprehensive understanding of the food security needs and constraints facing local communities, particularly the poor and vulnerable, in Siran Valley District Mansehra.
The action sought to increase the target communities’ food security options and strategies through the provision of resources, knowledge and techniques to achieve sustainable food production. Further, the action aimed to build the target communities’ resilience to hazards by incorporating disaster risk reduction measures, including increasing crop diversity, longer growing seasons, reducing soil erosion, etc.
The target group comprised 4,444 poor and vulnerable households from 60 villages in the four worst earthquake-affected union councils in Siran Valley District Mansehra (approximately 31,728 persons (12,442 female, 12,753 children and 6,532 males). The project undertook the following activities to achieve its objective:
Activity1.Provide inputs for crops (certified seeds and fertilizers) mainly for wheat, maize and potato to small landholders:
Under this activity, 3078 small landholders were provided with improved quality of seeds and fertilizers for increasing their crop production levels. Improved local 62.731MTseed varieties of Maize (Azam, Pahari), and Potato along with 122.5MT of Urea and DAP were distributed among the beneficiaries.
Due to small land holdings the package was further subdivided thus spreading out the benefit. Beneficiaries also included 25 women headed households and 39 handicapped.
Activity generated 647 unskilled cash for work man-days to 62 persons along with 15 skilled man-days for 1 person for packing of seed and fertilizers. Similarly during loading, unloading and transportation 353 man-days of cash for work were generated for 23 persons.
Activity2.Provide inputs for vegetables (seeds and fertilizers) for kitchen gardens and field cultivation:
During the project period 2472 poor and small landholders were provided improved varieties of 8.8MT of Peas, Beans and Tomato seeds along with 30MT of fertilizer to increase vegetable production in their backyard gardens, helping them to fulfil their dietary needs, covering and area of 121.45 hectares. Beneficiaries included 134 male and 2338 females (35 women headed households and 17 handicapped).
Activity generated 350 cash for work man-days for 30 persons for packing and 70 cash for work man- days for 7 persons for loading, unloading and transportation of the seed and fertilizer thus addressing the food security of the concerned families.
Activity3.Establish community based certified seed production plots:
In order to increase access and motivate the progressive farmers, 5 community based certified seed production plots were established in the project area in consultation with Agricultural Research Station Baffa.
Activity generated 146 cash for work man-days for 19 persons for 11days.
Activity4.Establish community based seed banks as local facility:
Due to ragged terrain, low land holdings and proper storage facilities, very few farmers in the project area produce surplus agriculture produce, which can be used as seed for future sowing seasons. Poverty and accessibility further restricts the farmers to acquire quality seeds and fertilizers thus keeping the agriculture production very low.For addressing the issue 2 seed banks were established at community level.
Activity5.Provide training on improved crop and vegetable management e.g fertilizers, pest management, post-harvest methodologies etc:
Due to hilly terrain and low landholdings of the target area, people are forced to cultivate small terraces, in order to produce their livelihood on conventional farming method. Soil is continuously losing fertility due to erosion and cultivation of exhaustive crops.
2 trainings were imparted to 115 farmers to build the capacity of the farmers in various aspects of crop and vegetable management, including land preparation, sowing, proper use of fertilizers and pesticides, processing and minimizing post-harvest losses.
Activity6.Carry out demonstration of tunnel gardening at the farm level:
2 demonstration tunnel gardens at farm level were established at village Kodar and Andrassi. The use of tunnel gardens, coupled with the use of hardy winter vegetables, will ensure the availability of fresh vegetables throughout the winter months, thus ensuring food security for the concerned families.
Activity11.Establish orchards:
Ideal environmental conditions, nature of soil and hilly terrain of Siran valley makes it suitable to grow apples, walnuts, apricots and peaches, amongst other fruits but insufficient financial resources and lack of technical knowhowdeprived the local dwellers to harness the potential.
6 orchards covering an area of 1.11 hectares were established during the reporting period. This activity shall not only provide an income source for the concerned families but also help reduce soil erosion thus maintaining soil fertility.
Activity generated 212 unskilled cash for man-days for 10 persons for 15 days and 45 skilled man-days for 1 person.
Activity12.Establish trial plots for alternate crops/crop rotation:
5 trail plots for alternate crops/crop rotation were established at village Kodar,MohriAara and Seri Treda(Fresh Beans) after the initial soil testing to determine the present soil characteristics and fertility levels to match crop selection with soil capacity in collaboration with Baffa Agricultural Research Station.(specimen soil test sample attached with annexure).
Activity generated 146 cash for work man-days for 14 persons for 14days.
Activity18.Strengthen village groups and link them with government farm services centre at district level:
Meetings were held with Executive District Officer Agriculture and concerned Agriculture officers to finalize the modalities for registering interested progressive framers with Farm Services Centre.The registering process was to be completed later. Activity could not be accomplished as planned due to dormant Farm Service Centre and non-availability of office building and farm machinery.
Activity19. Hold agriculture field days for awareness raising:
Activity was conducted in the month of July at the time of crop germination.
Overall activities have generated 4204 skilled and unskilled cash for work man-days for the peopal of the target area.