Project 07ff-5068 - agro-info

07ff-5068 Empowering farmers for effective participation in decision making (Bridging period proposal for 2008)

budget	€ 148.687,53	status	finished
start date	01-01-2008	date end	31-07-2008
location		country	india
financer	Agriterra
executor	Federation of Farmers Associations Andrah Pradesh	intervention level	sub-national
Programmes	\| work area 05: Grass-roots Participation \| IFAP 02: Focus development efforts on people and their organisations \|
description	Federation of Farmers’ Associations (FFA) is a unified, independent grassroots apolitical farmers organization with innovative programs and dynamic action plans in place to contribute to rural development. FFA has been envisioned on the premise of making agriculture into a profitable occupation, resurrecting the farmer, and restoring his dignity and social (...more...)
description	Federation of Farmers’ Associations (FFA) is a unified, independent grassroots apolitical farmers organization with innovative programs and dynamic action plans in place to contribute to rural development. FFA has been envisioned on the premise of making agriculture into a profitable occupation, resurrecting the farmer, and restoring his dignity and social equity. The federation of Farmers Associations Andhra Pradesh (a client PO of Agriterra since 2003) has agreed with Agriterra that it would be better to have a strategic planning for the next 3 years in stead of submitting annual project proposals, without having strategic orientations agreed upon by both parties. In order to do so, Agriterra proposed a bridging financing period of 7 months, in order to support FFA-AP in continuing its field activities as well as lobby and advocacy as done in 2007, but at the same time prepare a strategic plan in consultation with the grass root level and consult the members about the positioning of women within FFA-AP. This present proposal recived from FFA-AP includes financial support to sustain the overhead costs of FFA AP as well as financial support for the running projects like strengthening the mango value chain; lobby and advocacy (including participatory policy planning); agri marketing, horticulture and organic farming; income generating activities for youth. FFA-AP is proposing to include a new project component in this proposed bridging period, being a vegetables value chain programme. This last component will focus much on establishing market linkages for vegetables farmers in three districts close to big towns. (...less...)
results & observations	FFA-AP has expanded the membership with 4225 members, of which 2000 females. Actual membership is now 69.094 members, represented by 1851 affiliated member associations, paying a membership fee of Rs. 300 per group (upon registration and annual membership fee). One of the key activities during this bridging period was to (...more...)
final results & observations	FFA-AP has expanded the membership with 4225 members, of which 2000 females. Actual membership is now 69.094 members, represented by 1851 affiliated member associations, paying a membership fee of Rs. 300 per group (upon registration and annual membership fee). One of the key activities during this bridging period was to conduct field level consultations at grass root level about the future of FFA-AP, in order to come to a bottom up strategic planning. The views of the grass root level have been used to elaborate the next year project proposal. The grass root level consultations have resulted into a much better overview of issues that farmers want FFA-AP to take up, and this has influenced the project proposal and type of activities quite a lot. FFA-AP has used this opportunity to discuss issues like payment of membership fees as well as payment of service charge of individual members participating in trainings/workshops organised by FFA-AP. Farmers agreed to pay a service charge in the future, to start from August 2008 onwards. Various activities related to the improvement of Agricultural production have been implemented according to plan like various trainings, workshops, exposure visits, seminars etc. Average participation of women in the programmes is 27%, in which the majority of women participated in veterinary activities. Topics dealt with during trainings and workshops are: reduced use of fertilizer and pesticides (land management) toxic effects of pesticides; livestock rearing (goat); dairy cattle health awareness on rabi crop production (dry season). The MACS mango farmers continued the agreement with Coca Cola for the second year, providing the farmers a good deal. FFA-AP itself mentions that they have not been able to properly address gender in this program, and concluded that it need to better mainstream women in the basic design of the project components and at the same time, FFA-AP wants to establish a separate women wing dealing initially with 4 districts only. The institutional and organisational strengthening of FFA-AP, started at the grass root level, needs to be continued in the future. FFA-AP signals that at the middle level (district level) groups are not strongly federated. Members are member basically because of personal benefit, and not so much for communal benefit. This needs attention in the future. The elaboration of a strategic plan started with grass root level stakeholder consultations about the future of FFA-AP, but FFA-AP was not able to translate the collected information into a proper strategic plan. FFA has requested Agriterra to support them with preparation of a strategic plan during the next project period. It has been worthwhile to support FFA-AP with this bridging period, as they have used the time to further consolidate activities related to agricultural production, they have expanded the membership with >4000 members and grass root level consultations has deepened their own insight in the expectations and vision of their own members. It has been agreed upon by FFA-AP and Agriterra that FFA-AP needs external support in preparing their strategic plan, which will further guide FFA-AP in future activities. (...less...)
specialisms	\| Agriculture (general) \| Gender \| Grass-roots participation \| Internal organisational strengthening \| Processing of agricultural products \|

	APPLICATION
	APPLICATION

	DEFINITION
	DEFINITION

	EXECUTION
	EXECUTION

	RESULTS
	RESULTS

	PROGRESS
	PROGRESS

	RELATIONS
	RELATIONS

PROPOSAL

Agri-agency	Own contribution executor	Other parties	Total requested budget
Agriterra	FFAAP
€ 0,00 + € 0,00	€ 0,00	€ 0,00	€ 106.250,00

The federation of Farmers Associations Andhra Pradesh (supported by Agriterra since 2003 in four districts of Andhra Pradesh) has agreed with Agriterra that it would be better to have a strategic planning for the next 3 years instead of submitting annual project proposals, without having strategic orientations agreed upon by both parties. In order to do so, Agriterra proposed a bridging financing period from 7 month, in order to support FFA-AP in continuing its field activities as well as lobby and advocacy as done in 2007, but at the same time prepare a strategic plan in consultation with the grass root level and consult the members about the positioning of women within FFA-AP.

The proposal of the bridging period project of FFA-AP (Andhra Pradesh, India) includes activities based on the needs of the farmers and the approaches that are designed for improving the livelihoods of the farmers. The projects for various farmers organizations are not similar but vary according to the situation specificities.

1. Current FY 07 activities would be sustained:
a. advocacy and lobbying efforts
b. improving livelihoods in agriculture and allied fields: Trainings to the Farmers groups; Linking with retail market chains; Consultations with the Farmers Groups
c. Mango project: the Mango project will be dealt by the respective MACS societies, with overall market linkages, development of training modules linkages with universities etc. to be facilitated by the FFA AP

2. New orientations during 2008:
The role of women in decision making activities is to be increased. The role of women in FFA and its activities has been re-assessed and it was decided to involve women in all the activities. The EC has decided to induct some more women into the EC in the next General Body Meeting. It was decided to comprise the EC with 40 % of women representation in the coming 2 years.
A separate Women wing shall be established in the future. This wing will take care of the activities of women. The existing Four EC members, 2 women Coordinators, Women Consultant will be made part of the wing. This wing which will be responsible for all the Women activities in the project will be reporting directly to the EC.
Mainstreaming of women: The effort of FFA is to have at least 40% women participation in all activities in the coming two years. Women participation is about 24% (planned) for the first 7 month of 2007.

3. Organisational Strengthening: as previously, FFA-AP will be supported in further strengthening its own organisation: issues like membership, further federate farmers associations; activities with farmers associations, increased involvement of farmers associations in policies, management, lobbying ; improve M& E of FFA-AP etc.

Project budget
Budget requested to AT: € 86,668 (69%)
own contribution/third parties: € 39,888 (31%)
Total budget: € 126,556 (gender budget: 21% of total)

GOALS

1. Institutional strengthening and stucturing of FFA-AP
2. securing an appropriate policy framework through lobbying and advocacy
3. Better income for farmesr through Empowerment of farmers with better agricultural knowledge and skills
4. Enhance the economic condition of mango farmers in Chittoor district
5. Enhanced utilization of sorghum and pearl milletgrain in poultry feed industry
6. Strengthen Commodity Interest Groups

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