Workshop on Application of Genomics in Animal Breeding and Health

Workshop on Application of Genomics in Animal Breeding and Health

by | Jan 23, 2023 | Events

Inaugural Session Highlights

Jan 23, 2023

BAIF has been engaged in breed improvement programme since the last 55 years, right from piloting and providing breeding services at the doorsteps of farmers to extending the programme across the country through various government departments and institutions, stated Mr. Bharat Kakade, President and Managing Trustee of BAIF in his Welcome Address at the Inaugural Session of the three-day workshop on “Application of Genomics in Animal Breeding and Health” organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Government of India in Pune with BAIF, National Dairy Development Board, ICAR- National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources and National Institute of Animal Biotechnology as co-organisers.  However, inspite of the good efforts of Government departments like NDDB and several cooperatives, issues such as production efficiency, degradation of genetic stock, challenges of diversity in terms of the environment in which breeding and rearing of livestock happens in India continue to besiege this programme, he lamented.  Accuracy in data recording, data gathering and data analytics is another challenge, he further added. He further cited the example of the initiative of the Government of India whereby a Consortium of NDDB, BAIF, NBAGR and NIAB is already working in this direction. Closer collaboration synergy from ground to apex level, one of the aims of this workshop, can result in optimisation of the data generated so far.  Certain new triggers are also expected to be generated which will in turn enhance animal production efficiency rapidly. Small and medium dairy farmers will benefit through this effort as livestock development is the major source of livelihood in India, he concluded.

Mr. Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Government of India, defined the focus of his Keynote Address as setting out micro-economic, the policies and the institutional context in which the dairy sector is working in India.  The dairy sector in India has been growing since last 5 years at 7.5% CAGR and is the economic lifeline for almost 100 million rural households while also being India’s largest agricultural commodity. As it is a small holder system, it requires certain unique intervention strategies to address its challenges specifically which were to limit the population growth of the world’s largest livestock population while simultaneously improving its animal productivity particularly in the context of climate change. In terms of policies, the Government of India in this sector is involved in breed improvement programme which was traditionally AI but is now focussed on better technologies such as Embryo Transfer, IVF and hopefully application of genomic technology as well.  On the animal health aspect, the Government of India has rolled out the world’s largest vaccination programme – the FMD programme while tagging all our bovine population in the country with a unique number and uploading on our digital portal.  The Government of India’s National Digital Livestock Mission is in its pilot stage and the idea is to provide data-based services to our farmers and to all the other stakeholders.  This progamme is being implemented with the help of Tata Consultancy Services and the pilot programme is being rolled out in 4 districts of Uttarakhand and the intention is to roll it out across Uttarakhand in March and nationwide in April.  Combined with this, is the roll out of mobile veterinary units in all the states across the country and thereby provide farmers the incentive to use the portal more and more as well as use of the overall national mission called “One-health” which is in the final stages of being launched in the country and with focus on three verticals namely wildlife, livestock and human health. During the G20 meetings which India is incidentally chairing in different parts of the country, the Government also hopes to roll out the broader animal-pandemic preparedness on the G20 platform. There is a need to focus on the genetic improvement of our bovine population. There is also a need to develop a single-genomic-based dairy genetic improvement programme.  Under the Government of India scheme including the National Livestock Mission as well as the Rashtriya Gokul Mission we will try to provide support in the form of research and application in the field.  The genetic composition of the bovine population needs to improve in the context of climate change.

Dr. Abhijit Mitra, Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Government of India, referred to Urulikanchan as a centre of pilgrimage for animal genetics and breeding in the country. Considering the huge livestock diversity in the country, increasing livestock productivity could be a challenge and further stated that genetics and environmental interaction play a significant role in a country like India. He also focussed on the endemic diseases in the country and the huge livestock population which is naturally disease-resistant or disease-tolerant and also heat tolerant.  Data recording was the other challenge he expressed and hence, a very robust model which can take care of environmental variation, phenotypes and other traits or influencing parameters was required.  He mentioned the collaboration with NDDB in launching the National Digital Livestock Mission with an aim of collecting data from the field and Rashtriya Gokul Mission which was launched last year and appealed to the participants to practice inclusion and include all stakeholders involved in data recording.

Mr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), mentioned the scope of Artificial Insemination, advanced reproduction technologies such as sex-sorted semen and Embryo transfer and scientific selection of bull mothers in the genomics application programme while sharing that many stakeholders in the country were well aware of the potential of genomic selection for genetic improvement of bovines. NDDB and BAIF along with other partners have a significant recording of animals, he stated and further highlighted the pioneering effort of NDDB in genomic selection of crossbreds and indigenous animals which has resulted in more than 35,000 animals being genotyped and creation of a reference population. He also highlighted the INALF platform and NDDB-BAIF-NBAGR consortia for genotyping chip development and expressed hope of the discussions accelerating the implementation of genomics selection in smallholder dairy farming systems.

Dr. B.P. Mishra, Director, National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR, expressed satisfaction about the fact that as a research fraternity, we have grown in the last two decades and we are ready to face the challenges to improve animal productivity while capitalizing on genetic tools. He also informed the gathering that India has a diversity of 212 registered breeds and that India was a unique nation as it has evolved a system to recognize its own animal genetic resources, document, characterize and register it and with gazette notification as a safeguard from IPR and India is now leading the Asia-Pacific region in this aspect. Breedwise survey undertaken in 2013 was a feat accomplished by the DAHDF.  In 2019, the breed wise survey expanded to 184 breeds and today in 2022, we have the second report of breed survey which provides scope to update our data in domestic animal diversity. In our challenge to improve per animal productivity, various molecular tools have been applied by IVRI, NDRI, NDDB, BAIF, NIAB and NBAGR.

Mr. Alkesh Wadhwani, Director, Poverty Alleviation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), highlighted the long association of BMGF and BAIF.

Dr. P.K. Rout, ADG, ICAR, stated that Pune was very closely associated with the history of Animal Science as the Imperial Ecological Laboratory was established in Pune in 1869. He expressed hope that the workshop would address the requirement of protein which was the biggest challenge of humanity and our country in particular with its alarming cases of malnutrition and hunger and this programme of genome-based application in animal breeding and enhancing genetic selection response would enable us to increase our milk production. And called for development of the livestock production system with genome-based application and called for a blueprint of the implementation plan as one of the outcomes of this workshop.

Dr. Ashish Lele, Director, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, highlighted the interface between chemistry and biology and stated that one such interface was in the area of animal husbandry and establishment of the new generation sequencing facility at NCL which can be of help in the animal husbandry area and shared their research protocols by which the pathogens from this disease can be quickly and cost effectively tested and diagnosed in cattle research on Lumpy skin disease for cattle

Dr. R.O. Gupta, Senior General Manager, NDDB, proposed the vote of thanks.

BAIF Niger Crop Promoter Felicitated at International Conference

BAIF Niger Crop Promoter Felicitated at International Conference

by | Jan 21, 2023 | Events

Jan 17-21, 2023

Milubhai Thakrya, Senior Programme Operator, BAIF, Kaprada, has been associated with the Gujarat Tribal Development Programme in general since last 27 years and holistic village development programme in particular.  Milubhai was felicitated by ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research and Indian Society of Oilseeds Research at the International Conference on Vegetable Oils (ICVO 2023) held in Hyderabad from January 17-21 for his significant contribution to the popularisation of  Niger oilseed crop among tribal families.  Milubhai, was nominated by Niger Research Station, Vanarasi, for his committed effort to motivate the tribal farmers of Kaprada and Dharampur regions of Valsad district to adopt improved cultivation practices of Gujarat Niger-3 variety.  The BAIF family is proud of him and his achievements.

Harnessing Biomass in Rural India for Bioenergy and Livelihood creation

Harnessing Biomass in Rural India for Bioenergy and Livelihood creation

by | Jan 13, 2023 | Events

Jan 13, 2023

“Biomass needs to be seen as a resource as it can provide socio-economic benefits to the farming communities”, stated Mr. Dinesh Jagdale, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, while delivering the Keynote Address at the one-day workshop on creating a Bioenergy Digital Marketplace jointly organised by MNRE, GiZ, BiofuelCircle and BAIF Agro and Bio-Technology Pvt. Ltd. and hosted by BAIF at its head office in Pune on January 13, 2023.

There are 54 different kinds of biomass resources available in surplus in various states which can help in turning industries green while meeting the energy needs and reducing our dependency for energy supply. The digital change and connectivity taking place in the world and reaching every household in every village in the country, need to be embraced.This workshop is an opportunity to connect Farmer Producer Organisations, Entrepreneurs and Industries who can create a demand, he further expressed. 

Standardisation of biomass by the Indian Institute of Bioenergy at Kapurthala, can consolidate India’s position and leadership in the world. With its 170-odd gigawatt capacity-installed non-fossil fuels, India is almost fourth in the world in the domain of renewable energy, he further added. 2030 – the decade of action, will continue to register a rise in the use of renewable energy and bioenergy. Showcasing biomass through a digital market place by BiofuelCircle is bringing real value to rural entrepreneurs, Mr. Jagdale concluded.

“Connecting agriculture and rural India is the basis of the BiofuelCircle Model”, stated Mr. Suhas Baxi, Co-Founder and CEO, BiofuelCircle, Pune. If India has to become an energy exporting economy, it needs to harness the biomass. He listed out the reasons for the poor response towards biomass enterprise – small landholding, high cost in collecting biomass, less economic feasibility, farmers not receiving much in the supply chain and the seasonality aspect which requires storage. If industry is the buyer, small rural business is the key and hence, the model proposed, can surpass all these constraints. This model has created a briquetter-pellet manufacturer which can locate rural storages and the latter can sell biomass and bio-refineries to mining sites and industries which require biomass. 20 such biomass banks are being set up in rural Maharashtra in association with GIZ and BAIF, he added. These efforts are creating economic activity and employment in rural areas, he further added. More than 300,000 tons of biomass are available for sale and the price discovery and quality delivery are assured, he expressed.

Mr. Bharat Kakade, President and Managing Trustee, BAIF, a partner in this bioenergy digital marketplace, while welcoming the participants, stated that BAIF was a suitable agency to host such a programme and carry it forward due to its vast experience across 100,000 villages in 325 districts of 13 Indian states and helping 4 million families. He highlighted the core mission of BAIF which is to provide gainful self-employment to large sections of rural communities in their own areas thereby reducing distress migration. The major programmes of BAIF viz. Agri-horti-forestry (Wadi), Livestock development, Watershed Development and Renewable Energy are climate smart, reduce carbon footprint and create local employment opportunities. He also mentioned the Integrated Renewable Energy and Sustainable Agriculture (IRESA) programme for promoting biogas with filter to produce slurry cakes, with which either vermicompost or Bio-PROM is produced thereby replacing chemical fertilisers. In the context of emerging national and global challenges pertaining to climate change, he emphasised on the need to bring circularity in farming through an integrated approach of livestock-soil-crop-bioenergy management. There is huge potential in India for using crop residues fuel in the industrial boilers to replace conventional coal through a value chain approach. In collaboration with BiofuelCircle and with the support of GiZ, BAIF has made its foray into bioenergy production and the initial results look promising, he added.

Ms Nidhi Sarin, Programme Head, Access to Energy in Rural Areas, GIZ, stated that GIZ was happy to have appropriate partners like BiofuelCircle and BAIF and able guidance of Mr Dinesh Jagdale, Joint Secretary, MNRE, for their Bioenergy initiative. While supporting biomass-based briquette projects, GIZ had realised the demand-supply gap and disconnect of producers and consumers. This disconnect was addressed by BiofuelCircle by developing an online market place. Thereafter, GIZ, BiofuelCircle and BAIF came forward with the support of MNRE for pilot testing solutions in Maharashtra, resulting in this workshop. Biomass can be the key to meeting India’s climate targets and the new policy developed by MNRE highlighting the availability of surplus biomass, has tremendous potential for energy production, livelihood generation, income creation and empowerment of women. She highlighted the three models that may provide solutions to the challenge of crop residues namely, National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), a society-led model and the model being piloted by BAIF and BiofuelCircle which takes both demand and supply sides into consideration and can be the answer to the problem of crop residue burning. A larger meeting is in the offing for follow up and upscaling of this initiative, she further stated.

Dr. Mahesh Kadam, VAMNICON, highlighted the need to have a four-pronged approach towards capacity building focussing on production, consumption, distribution and biofuel exchange. Dr. Rajashree Joshi, Programme Director, BAIF, highlighted the emerging area of renewable and green energy in BAIF with special focus on solar, improved biogas, agri-residue-based energy options as a part of BAIF’s initiative in transitioning to a circular and climate-resilient rural economy. The demand for biomass for soil enrichment and cattle feed was also highlighted.  

Mr. Girish Sohani, Principal Adviser and Trustee, BAIF, in his concluding remarks at the inaugural session, highlighted the need to create a vibrant bio economy in rural areas using biomass-based enterprise and business development opportunities and welcomed the partnership and support from MNRE for piloting such initiatives.

Mr. Tushar Lowalekar, Founding Member and Chief Business Officer, BiofuelCircle, highlighted the significant movement towards use of biomass and bioenergy and the opportunity in the farm sector for collective participation of FPOs and farmers in this space, demand for 125 metric tons of biomass and lamented the challenges of collection, transportation and access to market which has led farmers to burn agricultural waste. He also stated that out of the registered 16,500 FPOs, only 4000 are organised and highlighted the BiofuelCircle model with its focus on participation at FPO level with aggregation, briquette making and value for rural entrepreneurs. 

Mr. Satish Chinchalkar, Adviser, BiofuelCircle and Mr. Mayur Sarode, Associate Programme Manager, BAIF provided an overview of the Unfolding green potential through agri-waste management (UGAM) project being implemented jointly by BAIF and BiofuelCircle in 11 districts of Maharashtra with the support of GIZ.     

Mr. Vikram Dhaka, Senior Scientist, MNRE, highlighted the scope of the user-friendly new Bioenergy Policy launched in November 2022 to support energy recovery from bio-resources. He also mentioned that, India has already achieved its target of 10 gigawatt installed capacity of biomass-based power generation before its deadline and expressed that the time had come to prepare for scaling up manufacturing of biomass-based briquettes.

Mr. Pradeep Bhargava, industrial management expert and Member, Advisory Board, BiofuelCircle, headed the Panel Discussions on Policy Intervention and Accelerators for Bioenergy Supply Chain. He called upon all the stakeholders to find a solution and to take the lead with an aim of socially responsible service and not social service. Mr. Sohani stated that this initiative was scalable and called for a biomass-based value chain from consumer point of view, standardization of the bands of value and quality assurance. Mr. Ashish Vaishnav, Director, Gangotree Energy Projects Pvt. Ltd., called for embedding quality circle and to develop suitable applications while keeping the environment in mind. Mr. Shrinivas Kulkarni, Director of BAIF Agro and Bio-Technology Pvt. Ltd. and Group Vice President, Finance, BAIF, emphasised on the need for government support in the form of regulations and a comprehensive framework to support the bioenergy sector. He also highlighted the importance of considering environmental challenges and alternative sources of fuel and urged stakeholders not to rely solely on government subsidies but to also take a look at the sustainable and effective model already being built by BAIF and BiofuelCircle, which will also contribute to the environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics. Mr. Sachin Kamble, DGM, NABARD, highlighted the business opportunity through FPOs in setting up a briquette plant. Dr. Mahesh Kadam, Asst. Professor, VAMNICON, reiterated the resource management through aggregation, awareness and marketing aspect and the livelihood management aspect of this enterprise.    

Mr. Srirang Chorage, Torna FPO, shared the ground experience of his FPO in biomass aggregation business. He further mentioned that the transportation cost constituted a higher proportion of the overall selling price of biomass thereby reducing the farmer and FPO profit margins. If the transportation cost could be reduced, it would definitely help this sector to grow in future, he expressed. Prof. Suvarna Gokhale, Jnana Prabodhini, expressed the need for capacity building at the grassroots. 

Mr. Hemant Mohagaonkar, Executive Vice President, Thermax, as Panel Leader for the Panel Discussions on Supply Chain Conundrum, highlighted the seasonality of biomass as a serious concern, transportation and the need to add economic value at every stage. The panelists included Mr. Vikas Mhetre, Managing Director, Shree Industries who operates a briquetting plant, Mr. Mahesh Kambli, Director – Business Development, BAIF Agro and Bio-Technology Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Ram Phalke, Director, Panand Agro and Mr. Mirick Gogri, Head, Aarti Indutries. The panelists spoke about the need to work on the ground, need to ensure economic benefits to the farmers, importance of working capital, policy support, finance and seed support apart from value stream innovation, circular economy and to provide incentives to enable farmers to earn.      

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Suhas Baxi, reiterated the need for integrating a network of organisations and individuals with thought leaders for a more vibrant circular economy and the need for value discovery and demystification of biomass. 

60 representatives from farmer producer organization companies, women farmers, NGOs, Government Organisations, industries and NABARD participated in the workshop.  BAIF has been working on this theme which is an emerging development area. In the light of climate change and circularity, BAIF has development meaningful partnerships and supports innovations which are aligned with its mission of sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural India.  The workshop has set the direction to promote local initiatives in rural India to identify underutilised bio resources and to develop suitable infrastructure to make efficient use of these neglected resources for generation of green energy at an affordable cost, additional rural employment and for keeping the rural surroundings clean.

Best Artificial Insemination Technician Felicitated by BAIF Senior Management

Best Artificial Insemination Technician Felicitated by BAIF Senior Management

by | Jan 6, 2023 | Events

Jan 06, 2023

Gopal Rana, an unassuming Livestock Technician from the aspirational district of Balangir in Odisha, has a tag to his name now.  He is the Best AI Technician in the country, having been awarded the Gopal Ratna Award for the year 2022 – one of the highest National Awards in the Livestock and Dairy Sector, after clearing stringent evaluation assessments set up by the Government of India.

The BAIF Senior Management led by the President and Managing Trustee of BAIF, Mr. Bharat Kakade, felicitated this committed Centre In-charge of the BAIF-managed Sikuan Cattle Development Centre in Balangir district, at the head office of BAIF in Pune.  Also present, were the Regional Director of BAIF Programmes in the East – Mr. Rakesh Warrier, State Head of BAIF Odisha, Mr. Sandip Kakade and Additional Chief Programme Executive, BAIF Odisha, Mr. Vivek Singh. Mr. Kakade acknowledged the committed services of Gopal which has improved the livelihood of 1500-2000 socio-economically poor families from 10-15 villages in the district while also making a special mention of the support received by this livestock technician from his family particularly his wife.  Gopal has won the hearts of the families with his sincerity, devotion, confidence, efficient service delivery mechanisms and amiable personality. 

Gopal, who has been associated with BAIF, since 2011, shared his journey from a qualified social worker with a Master’s degree in Social Work to a private para-veterinarian and finally to a BAIF AI Technician – an organization towards which he was drawn having heard of the transformation in the lives of the families in various parts of Odisha due to the opportunities for gainful employment created by BAIF.  Thus, inspite of having to support a large family which included his parents, Gopal chose livestock development as his career. Realising the need to improve the efficiency of dairy animals and ensure that dairy cattle development is a reliable source of livelihood for small families, Gopal adopted cutting edge technologies such as sex-sorted semen, genomic evaluation and goat AI to improve the herd productivity as well as the income of livestock keepers. He has performed more than 1,700 sorted semen artificial inseminations which have assured 90% probability of female calves. He has performed more than 6,000 Artificial Inseminations during the last 3 years with a conception rate of 45% which has created assets in the form of improved female calves and bovine progenies and worth more than Rs. One crore. This achievement with a monthly average of 150 artificial inseminations, is commendable considering the constraints of dairy development in this backward region.  Gopal’s dedicated efforts have helped to enhance milk production in the area.  Livelihood security has enabled him to maintain his family and to afford education of his two children with the possibility of a brighter future.   

The Award is also a testimony of the efficacy of the robust model pioneered by BAIF integrating quality door-step livestock development services with skilled local self-employment. The support received by BAIF from the Government of Odisha, which has contributed to the dairy sector of the State and empowered the youth to excel in doorstep livestock development services, is gratefully acknowledged. We also take this opportunity to thank the Government of India for recognising and encouraging grassroots efforts in nation building.  

BAIF is implementing dairy cattle development with the support of various State Governments in 13 states including Odisha.

Mission Amrit Sarovar

Mission Amrit Sarovar

by | Dec 13, 2022 | Events

Dec 13, 2022

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Tata Motors and MGNREGA Department, Government of Maharashtra for the development of 100 reservoirs under Mission Amrit Sarovar in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Maharashtra, Mr. Devendra Fadnavis, in Mumbai. BAIF Livelihoods will provide necessary project implementation inputs. 

Mr. Nand Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, MGNREGA Department, Mr. Bhanudas Palve, Chief Executive Officer of Palghar Zilla Parishad, Mr. Vijaykumar Kalwale, Assistant Director, MGNREGA Department, Mr. Sushant Naik, Global Head – Government and Public Affairs, Tata Motors, Mr. Vinod Kulkarni, CSR Head, Tata Motors, Mr. Bharat Kakade, President, BAIF and Mr. Sudhir Wagle, Chief Programme Executive, BAIF Livelihoods, Maharashtra, were present on this occasion.

Mission Amrit Sarovar promoted by the Government of India, aims at the development of water resources at the village level. This tripartite agreement paves the way for revival and development of 100 reservoirs in Palghar, Pune, and Satara districts of Maharashtra, with special focus on the tribal blocks. MGNREGA Department will provide wages, Tata Motors will extend technical assistance, material support and training and BAIF will provide necessary project development inputs.

Mr. Devendra Fadnavis directed all the concerned departments and agencies to facilitate implementation of Mission Amrit Sarovar.  Mr. Bharat Kakade and Mr. Vinod Kulkarni reiterated that improved irrigation will enable farmers to cultivate multiple crops, floriculture, horticulture, high value vegetable cultivation and become prosperous. Mr. Nand Kumar emphasised the role of MGNREGA in alleviating poverty and ending migration for livelihoods. Stressing on the importance of water resources for agriculture, rural livelihoods and holistic village development, Tata Motors and BAIF/BAIF Livelihoods pledged to implement the Integrated Village Development Programme to strengthen livelihoods, health, education, animal husbandry and natural resource management sectors.

World Soil Day celebrated at BAIF

World Soil Day celebrated at BAIF

by | Dec 5, 2022 | Events

Dec 5, 2022

World Soil Day was celebrated in various operational areas of BAIF.  In Maharashtra, the occasion was celebrated at Dudhmala village under the Tribal Utthan Project being implemented at Dhanora with the distribution of kitchen garden seed kit to 150 families in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Gadchiroli and ATMA.  The event was also celebrated at Umberkheda village in Jawhar cluster of Palghar district under the Hinduja Foundation Project.  35 women farmers attended the event which highlighted various soil conservation measures by the Project Leader Darshan Bhoye, demonstration of soil samples and awareness on soil management techniques including crop rotation and promotion of organic farming measures such as Jeevanmrut, vermiwash, composting and Dashparnaik.  

In Rajasthan, the event was celebrated under various projects and programmes. At Rausar village in Bikaner, an awareness programme on value of soil and its management was organized under the ITC Mission Sunehra Kal Natural Resource Management Programme to strengthen arid farming system for sustainable development. 60 farmers participated in this programme. The pro-soil approach of BAIF was highlighted through information on smart soil and water management practices adopted by BAIF which have enhanced soil carbon content, increased the crop yield and reduced the use of external inputs. It was also celebrated at Barmer under the Unnati Project in coordination with KVK Gudhamalani to create awareness on soil management among school children and farmers. Under the Hindustan Zinc Ltd. SAMADHAN Project, the event was celebrated at Chanderiya, Chittorgarh, with the active participation of the participant families including women and information on sustainable soil health management was emphasized upon.  

In Karnataka, under the NABARD-JK Tyre Billikere Watershed Project, students and teachers of the local primary school at Halebeedu in Hunsur, Mysuru district, actively participated in an awareness campaign on soil conservation. 

New Fodder variety evolved by BAIF

New Fodder variety evolved by BAIF

by | Nov 30, 2022 | Events

Nov 30, 2022

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India notified and released BAIF-evolved fodder crop variety – Pearl millet (BAIF Bajra-7) as suitable for cultivation in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka vide their Notification of November 30, 2022.

Women Centric Solar Dryer Food Enterprise Project

Women Centric Solar Dryer Food Enterprise Project

by | Nov 28, 2022 | Success Stories

Sitaram Rao Livelihoods India Case Study Compendium 2021

Agro and Food Processing for Advancing Rural Development

Women centric solar dryer enterprise is a livelihood model, focusing on the livelihoods of rural women of Haveli and Daund Taluka in Pune district of Maharashtra. Before understanding the model, one must understand the meaning of livelihood, which basically refers to securing the basic needs for human survival.  Livelihood is defined and factored into a set of activities in which an individual is involved to fulfil his or her needs for existence.  This covers the economic and social wellbeing of the individual. Securing livelihood opportunities for women is one of the many goals of the model. As women in rural areas are deprived of opportunities and chances of improving their living conditions and livelihoods.

In this case study, the major focus is to understand the importance of building capacities and giving opportunities to women in improving their livelihood. The beneficiaries of the case study are women of Self-help groups, who prior to the project intervention, engaged in minimal or no entrepreneurial activities Read more…

BAIF AI Technician awarded National Gopal Ratna Award

BAIF AI Technician awarded National Gopal Ratna Award

by | Nov 26, 2022 | Events

Nov 26, 2022

Shri. Gopal Rana, the Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) under the BAIF Livelihoods Odisha Livestock Development Programme in the aspirational district of Balangir in Odisha, received the prestigious “Gopal Ratna Award” of the Government of India under the category of “Best AI Technician” today – November 26, 2022 in Bengaluru on the occasion of “National Milk Day”.  The award was conferred on him by Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Hon’ble Minister of State – Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India and Shri. Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Animal Husbandry Department, Government of India in the presence of dignitaries from the Central Government, Government of Karnataka, NDDB, Karnataka Milk Federation and Veterinary College among others. Shri. Rana was accompanied by Dr. Lokanath Behera, CEO, Odisha Livestock Resources Development Society and Shri. Vivek Singh, Additional Chief Programme Executive, BAIF Livelihoods Odisha. A certificate, memento and a cheque of Rs. 5 lakhs was handed over to Shri. Rana by the Hon’ble Minister and Secretary.  The ceremony was held at the Dr. Babu Rajendra Prasad International Convention Centre. 

Compliments to Shri. Rana for this commendable recognition! The support received by BAIF from the Government of Odisha, which has contributed to the dairy sector of the State and empowered the youth to excel in doorstep livestock development services, is gratefully acknowledged. We also take this opportunity to thank the Government of India for recognising and encouraging grassroots efforts in nation building.

BAIF AI Technician wins the National Gopal Ratna Award

BAIF AI Technician wins the National Gopal Ratna Award

by | Nov 24, 2022 | Events

Nov 24, 2022

Shri. Gopal Rana, an Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) under the BAIF Livelihoods Odisha Livestock Development Programme in the aspirational district of Balangir in Odisha, was adjudged the “Best AI Technician”, having secured the First Rank under this category for the prestigious “Gopal Ratna Award” instituted by the Government of India for the year 2022.  The award includes a certificate of merit, a memento and a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakhs. 

National Gopal Ratna Award, one of the highest National Awards in the Livestock and Dairy Sector, aims at recognising and encouraging farmers rearing indigenous animals, AI Technicians, Dairy Cooperative Societies, Milk Producer Company and Dairy Farmers Producers Organizations. Gopal had to pass through various evaluation parameters as part of the selection process. He will receive the award on November 26, 2022 in Bengaluru on the occasion of “National Milk Day”.

This unassuming field technician has well demonstrated that there is no shortcut to success and is now a hero of sorts among AI technicians who are quietly providing efficient doorstep services to small farmers in various parts of the country and contributing to the growth of the livestock and dairy sector in the country. 

This Award is also a testimony of the efficacy of the robust model pioneered by BAIF, integrating quality doorstep livestock development services with skilled local self-employment and a proud moment too as there are only three ranks in this category at the All-India level. 

The support received by BAIF from the Government of Odisha, which has contributed to the dairy sector of the State and empowered the youth to excel in doorstep livestock development services, is gratefully acknowledged. We also take this opportunity to thank the Government of India for recognising and encouraging grassroots efforts in nation building.  

UN climate summit: Pune-based BAIF’s ‘Wadi’ model discussed in COP

UN climate summit: Pune-based BAIF’s ‘Wadi’ model discussed in COP

by | Nov 18, 2022 | News

The annual outreach of BAIF is about 3.3 million families in 325 districts of 13 states. (Express photo)

Nov 17, 2022

‘Wadi’ model, meant to help tribal and small landholders, allows the landholder to plant food crops for commercial sales and self-consumption. It was examined during the session held to discuss ways and means to increase organic carbon in the soil.

The ‘Wadi’ development model introduced by the Pune-headquartered BAIF Development Research Foundation (known as BAIF) that promotes fruit trees and forestry in the farming system was discussed at the ongoing Conference of Parties (COP) session in Egypt. The summit is being held as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

This programme, which is aimed at improving livelihood and giving access to nutrition for small landholders, was examined during the session held to discuss ways and means to increase organic carbon in soil.

Bharat Kakade, president and managing trustee, and senior thematic programme executives Sadashiv Nimbalkar, Yogesh Sawant and Raosaheb Kote represented the organisation at the 27th edition of COP session.

BAIF has been working on various initiatives mainly aimed at improving the livelihoods of poor families in rural areas along with conserving the natural resources. As BAIF’s programme focuses on sustainable development of communities with strong emphasis on climate change adaptation and mitigation, the key initiatives include agri-horti-forestry-based ‘Wadi’ programme, dairy, animal husbandry and soil health for food security and land degradation control for integrated and sustainable development in high-altitude and arid as well as semi-arid rainfed agriculture areas in India.

The annual outreach of BAIF is about 3.3 million families in 325 districts of 13 states.

The ‘Wadi’ model is meant to help tribal and small landholders. It allows the landholder to do horticulture and plant food crops on the land both for commercial sales and self-consumption by the farmer. Through this programme, BAIF encourages farmers to make the most of their holdings while ensuring food security and fixing organic carbon through sustainable agricultural practices.

Kakade highlighted how BAIF was closely connected with food security and carbon emission reduction initiatives. “BAIFs mission is to create opportunities for self-employment for needy families in the villages. The typical issues faced by small farmers in India are degraded lands, poor soil health resulting in low crop productivity thereby affecting the livelihoods of the poor. Several small holding farmers depend on seasonal migration for their livelihoods,” he said.

He further mentioned that BAIF has evolved and upscaled the Wadi-based programme (agri-horti-forestry) which has generated livelihood opportunities for 0.2 million smallholder farmers in their own land through capacity-building, skilling, training, and support for planting trees. The fruit trees are planted on the farm and forestry trees on the borders. Short gestation crops are cultivated in the interspaces. The production is aggregated and marketed by the farmer cooperatives.

The Wadi model would also sequester a significant quantity of carbon. BAIF expressed its decision to align its programmes with the strategic low-emissions development transitions outlined in India’s long-term Low Emissions Development Strategies (LT-LEDS) document released by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav at the India pavilion at the COP session on November 14.

 

Jal Sahara Project awarded the CSR Box Award

Jal Sahara Project awarded the CSR Box Award

by | Nov 15, 2022 | Events

Nov 15, 2022

Jal Sahara Project, implemented by BAIF Development Research Foundation and supported by Schaeffler India Limited, was recognised for its excellent outcomes and success by being awarded the CSR Box Award 2022 under “Rural Development” category.

The project has been formulated with the major objectives of providing water security through watershed management principles, improved agricultural practices, crop diversification and livelihood enhancement for the inhabitants of Tadawale village in Satara district of Maharashtra. Systematic and scientific management of the watersheds was based on the principles of watershed, improved agricultural production of treated landscapes, water availability and enhanced income. Digital Ecosystem of learning was adopted for the schools thereby replacing the traditional learning ecosystem which enhanced the quality of teaching and the working environment.

Construction of toilet blocks has resulted in excellent health and sanitation facilities for the students. Income of the poor families dependent on agriculture, has also increased after implementation while generating livelihood opportunities. 98 landless households have been provided support for small enterprise development through livelihood promotion activities which enhanced their income.

BAIF Development Research Foundation congratulates the project implementation team and CSR partner Schaeffler India Limited for winning CSR Box Award 2022!