Building a Better Tomorrow with

Vibhavari’s Initiatives in Agricultural Enhancement

Agriculture

Vibhavari has identified agricultural enhancement as a key focus area in its work portfolio. Initiatives such as watershed treatment and livelihood promotion undertaken by Vibhavari have included agricultural development as a central component.

Vibhavari enhances agricultural income by training farmers in advanced and sustainable techniques such as climate-smart agriculture, drip irrigation, sprinkler systems, and organic farming. Through initiatives like Farmer Field Schools (FFS), seed replacement
and treatment, seed germination, BBF sowing practices, solar traps, pheromone traps, weather awareness stations, Custom Hiring Centres, and soil health campaigns, the organization promotes biodiversity and environmentally responsible farming. As a result, over 51,597 farmers across 117 villages have adopted these sustainable practices, significantly improving both productivity and income.

Agriculture Projects & Campaigns

Soil Health Campaign

Unsustainable agricultural practices such as deforestation, excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and over-irrigation have severely degraded the topsoil, posing a long-term threat to soil health. To address this issue, Vibhavari organized Soil Health Awareness Camps across 30 villages in Dewas district, with support from Landcare, Australia. During these camps, farmers received crucial information about the quality and characteristics of their soil through the use of soil testing kits, helping them make informed decisions about crop management and input use.

In addition, Vibhavari collaborated with the Twambo Landcare Group, Australia, in a three-year partnership focused on studying and improving agricultural practices. This collaborative effort aimed to compare farming methods used in India and Australia, identify sustainable techniques, and promote mutual learning through knowledge exchange. The initiative contributed to enhancing agricultural productivity and fostering environmentally responsible farming in both countries.

Organic Farming Campaign

Vibhavari launched its Organic Farming Campaign in the year 2006–07, with the aim of promoting organic farming through the use of organic manure. The campaign also emphasized the importance of organic pest control methods and their benefits. It was implemented across more than 20 districts of Madhya Pradesh, reaching a wide farming community. As a result, over 19,000 farmers adopted organic practices and began reaping the benefits of sustainable agriculture.

Agricultural Income Enhancement

Vibhavari is implementing a consultancy program aimed at increasing farmers’ agricultural income. As part of this initiative, farmers are being provided with information on modern scientific techniques, the installation of weather stations and related innovations. They have adopted advanced practices such as drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, the use of high-quality seeds, organic farming, integrated pest management, and the use of equipment through Custom Hiring Centers. Additional interventions include the use of solar traps, pheromone traps, reapers, and Broad Bed Furrow (BBF) sowing methods. These efforts have not only helped reduce cultivation costs but have also led to a significant increase in crop productivity.

Farmer Field School

Vibhavari has been implementing an Agricultural Income Enhancement Program in collaboration with ITC under the ITC Mission Sunehra Kal across 45 villages in Sehore district.The program focuses on training and capacity building of farmers through the Farmer Field School (FFS) approach and the introduction of advanced agricultural technologies. Through this initiative, Vibhavari has trained over 2,000 male farmers and 850 female farmers in Sehore district.

Customer Hiring Centers

Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs) have been established and are being managed by farmer groups themselves. These centers provide advanced agricultural equipment to farmers at nominal rental rates, making modern farming practices accessible even to small and marginal farmers. In Sehore district, 7 CHCs are operational across a cluster of 23 villages, benefiting over 1,500 small and marginal farmers by facilitating the use of advanced techniques to enhance productivity and income.

Productive Structures Model

Vibhavari has developed water conservation structures as a productive model for farmers. In this model, the bunds of irrigation tanks can be utilized for fodder or crop production, farm ponds can support vegetable cultivation, and “med khanti” or trenches can be used as Khanti Nadep compost pits. This integrated approach encourages small and marginal farmers to adopt water conservation practices by linking them with productive uses.

Climate Smart Agriculture ITC-MSK

Implementation area : 117 villages of Sehore, Agar, Ratlam & Ujjain districts.

With the objective of preventing soil erosion in its operational areas, Vibhavari has worked extensively to improve soil health. To raise awareness among farmers, the organization conducted workshops, training sessions, and developed tools and informational materials to assist and motivate them in adopting soil-friendly practices.

This project focuses on the dissemination of information and training related to Climate-Smart Agriculture. Notably, during the development of IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) materials on this topic, Vibhavari uniquely conceptualized and designed innovative tools such as street plays, comic strips, and informational calendars, all presented in a simple and easy-to-understand format to effectively engage farmers and communities. Climate-Smart Agriculture is an approach aimed at developing agricultural practices that are adaptive to climate change while also enhancing productivity and income. This program supports the development of Climate-Smart Villages (CSVs) by providing training and capacity building to farmers in climate-resilient agriculture.

The program is being implemented in approximately 117 villages across the districts of Sehore, Ratlam, Ujjain, and Agar. Around 2,700 farmers are directly engaged as Champion Farmers and 51597 indirect, each of whom is adopting Climate-Smart Agricultural techniques under the guidance of a team of agricultural experts.

Plantation & Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of plant and animal life in the world or within a specific habitat. A high level of biodiversity is generally considered vital and desirable for maintaining a healthy and resilient ecosystem.

To improve biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, the following activities are being undertaken:

Plantation of native and diverse species to enrich local ecosystems.
Minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to protect soil health and local flora and fauna.
Community-supported documentation efforts to create and maintain a Biodiversity Register or Bio-Diversity Book of the village.
Training programs for identified youth, Village Development Committees (VDC), and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to build local capacity for biodiversity conservation.
Biodiversity mapping activities involving school-going children to increase awareness and participation at the grassroots level.