Water Saving Safe & Sustainable Eco-Friendly Efficient Agriculture Practice (WSSEAP) Project

The Water Saving Safe & Sustainable Eco-Friendly Efficient Agriculture Practice (WSSEAP) project, implemented by Prattasha Samajik Unnayan Sangstha (PSUS) with funding from the Japan Fund for Global Environment (JFGE), Japan, aims to encourage safe food production, sustainable, eco-friendly, efficient water use, and the practice of good agriculture to create a long-term replicable model for local farmers in the 40 unions of Damurhuda Upazila, Chuadanga District. An overview of the project is as follows:

Project Name: Water Saving Safe & Sustainable Eco-Friendly Efficient Agriculture Practice (WSSEAP) Project

Donor Organization: Japan Fund for Global Environment (JFGE), Japan.

Aligns with SDGs: SDG 13 and SDG 15.

Total Beneficiaries: Male – 200, Female – 120, Adolescent Boys – 20, Adolescent Girls – 18, Youth – 50, Disabled Individuals – 35, Farmers – 400, Harijan – 15, Dalit – 14, Blacksmith – 10, Potter – 11, Slave – 87, Fisherman – 50. Total: 1,030.

Project Duration: April 2021 to March 2024

Overall Goal of the Project:
To encourage farmers to produce safe food, promote sustainable, eco-friendly, efficient water use, and encourage the practice of good agriculture, creating a long-term replicable model for local farmers.

Specific Objectives of the Project:

• Identification of 400 interested and eligible farmers and the formation of 40 village farmer groups (10 farmers per group), with quarterly meetings. Additionally, 4 union-level farmer groups will be formed with semi-annual meetings, and an apex team will be established at the Upazila level with leadership selected from these groups for semi-annual meetings.
• 200 farmers will be trained in safe food and vegetable production.
• At least 33% of targeted farmers will be taught how to produce, store, and use high-quality seeds of various crops. These seeds will be distributed to other farmers in the region.
• 100 farmers will be trained in the production and use of vermicompost and Trichoderma, as well as proper soil health management.
• Targeted farmers will be more involved in eco-friendly, low-water-reliant farming practices on lowland and medium-high land.
• Water conservation pits will be dug in 10% of lowland and medium-high land to increase water retention capacity and reduce groundwater usage by maintaining soil moisture.
• 40 farmers will be directly engaged in water-efficient farming practices on their fields (lowland and medium-high land).
• Soil testing and heavy metal tests will be conducted to assess soil condition for safe crop and vegetable production.
• At least 60% of targeted farmers will be engaged in environmentally friendly agricultural practices, ensuring financial stability and access to safe, nutritious food (rice, vegetables, and fish).
• Through farmer networks, the activities will be spread among others, strengthening the protection of farmers’ rights in safe food production and water-efficient farming, ensuring the marketability of their safe products.
• Stakeholders will be informed about the project’s outcomes, learning, and impacts, raising awareness, promoting the project’s success, and spreading it in surrounding areas.

Activity:

• Base Line Survey
• Training to 200 farmers on safe food production, vegetable, and quality crop seeds (2 days training)
• Project Orientation Meeting with stakeholders and beneficiaries at Upazila (1) and Union (4)
• Project Inception Meeting with stakeholders and beneficiaries at Upazila (1 time)
• Project Staff Orientation Meeting (1 meeting) & Staff Monthly Coordination Meeting
• Training to 100 farmers on vermicompost production & use, standard use of chemical fertilizers & pests, and how to use Trichoderma for soil and seed treatment (2-day training)
• Field Day (8 on-the-job training sessions for 400 people)
• Provision of agricultural materials (irrigation pipes for 200 people)
• Provision of agricultural materials (seed preservation drum for 50 people)
• Excavation of reservoirs/Digging small water preservation ponds (40 locations) with display boards
• Soil test (nutrient test) and Upazila Campaigning Meeting with government officials
• Heavy metal test (1 time in a year) & Meeting with government officers (2 times in a year)
• Parent earthworms for vermicompost and material distribution (30 households)
• Develop IEC materials (Flyer/Brochure, Flip Chart, and Posters) on WSSEAP technology/Safe food production and strategies (1 time in a year, 2 brochures)
• Village Farmers Federation (40 Villages), Union Farmers Federation (4 Unions), Upazila Apex Federation (1 UAF)
• Quarterly meeting of 40 Village Farmers Federation (VFF) (10 persons in 40 villages * 4 times/yearly)
• Half-yearly meeting of 4 Union Farmers Federation (UFF) (20 persons * 4 groups * 2 times/yearly)
• Half-yearly meeting of 1 Upazila Apex Federation (UAF) (30 persons * 2 times/yearly)
• Farmers gathering and Fair (county unit) and Result demonstration including success story (1 time in a year)
• Farmers gathering and Fair – Result demonstration including success story (1 time in a year)
• Day observation (International Food Day – 10/16, International Water Day – 3/22, Agricultural Day – 11/15) (Citizens’ awareness and awareness of safe food)
• Upazila Networking Meeting with relevant stakeholders for ensuring the value chain of additional vermicompost through selling at a justified price (Networking meeting with Bazaar Committee, Businessmen, Wholesalers, Dealers, Union Parishad, Upazila Agriculture Extension Department, BARI, etc.) (2 times in a year * 25 persons)
• Internal & External Exposure Visit for Learning Sharing (2 times in a year)
• Annual Advocacy Workshop with respective key stakeholders at the district & Upazila level (2 meetings * 35 persons)
• Annual Learning Sharing Workshop at the district level (1 meeting)
• Operational Cost

Project Output/Outcome:

•  Soil tests have been completed for 400 farmers.
• 260 farmers have received ribbon pipes.
• 325 farmers have received AWD pipes.
• 300 farmers have received seed preservation training.
• 170 farmers have received seed preservation drums.
• 230 farmers (trained and others) are preserving seeds.
• 20 farmers have received pheromone traps.
• 50 farmers have received spray machines.
•  90 farmers have received earthworms for vermicomposting.
•  300 farmers have received safe food production training.
• 190 farmers are producing safe food.
• 300 farmers have received pesticide usage training.
• 125 farmers are using pesticides.
•  300 farmers have received vermicomposting training.
•  109 farmers are producing vermicompost fertilizer.
•  50 farmers have received training under the income-generating program.
• 550 farmers have received leadership development training.
• 30 farmers have received entrepreneurship development training.
• 80 mini ponds have been dug.
• 68 farmers are growing safe vegetables and practicing fish farming at the banks of mini ponds.