Strengthening capacities of the Government of Andhra Pradesh to support farmers to adopt sustainable agri-food systems

Strategic Objective 2: Make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable

Objectives: Capacities of key stakeholders at various levels enhanced to support AP farmers to adopt sustainable agri-food systems

Description: Agriculture in Andhra Pradesh is mostly dependent on rainfall. Monsoon and seasonal conditions play a major role in agricultural production which contributes 34% of GSDP and 55% of employment. Like many other states in India, Andhra Pradesh faces continuous degradation of soil quality, declining crop yields, widening yield gaps in comparison with best yields in the country, increasing prices of agriculture inputs resulting in increased cost of cultivation, and changes associated with climate variability (Agricultural Development in Andhra Pradesh: Temporal and Regional Perspectives, Reddy et. all, 2020). Indiscriminate use of fertilizers led to an imbalance in soil fertility and an increase in input costs resulting in not only non-availability of micronutrients but also resulted in yield losses (Agricultural Development in Andhra Pradesh: Temporal and Regional Perspectives, Reddy et.al., 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic and associated safety concerns also impacted agricultural value chains. Thus, there is a need to modernize the agricultural sector by adopting latest technology and marketing strategies, to produce competitive products that are profitable and sustainable.

To address the challenges in agriculture, the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) has launched Farmer Facilitation Centres (FFCs)1 in all Gram Panchayats in the state as a most novel, effective, and efficient platform for knowledge dissemination and to provide farmers with quality inputs and allied services to ensure year-round productivity, profitability, and sustainability. To excel and accelerate qualitative and quantitative services to the farmers through FFCs, GoAP wants to improve the training and knowledge levels of its technical staff and farmers at the state and community level and to expand sustainable agri-food systems2 across the state. The Village Assistants, who are staff in the FFCs, are the last-mile extension service providers delivering technical support on Agriculture, Horticulture, Livestock and Fisheries to the beneficiary households.

Despite having a strong institutional structure, efficient monitoring system, deepest presence among the most vulnerable population of the rural poor, and a vast range of cadre across the State, GoAP identified a need for strengthening capacities of technical staff for improved service delivery to the farmers through Farmer Facilitation Centres. They have requested FAO Technical Assistance particularly to support their ongoing efforts to assist farmers in transitioning to a Sustainable Agri-food Systems, including adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Organic Certification. Presently, most agricultural institutions stress on intensive agricultural practices, which result in excessive use of chemical inputs at the farm level. There is a need to develop clear pathways for transitioning farmers to sustainable agri-food systems. This requires developing a methodological framework, designing curriculum, and building capacities of scientists, officers, and last-mile extension workers, and developing a robust monitoring and evaluation framework for transitioning to sustainable agri-food systems. This will help address the challenge of indiscriminate use of chemical inputs, reduce input costs, produce quality inputs, and strengthen market linkages, thereby address negative environmental impacts of agriculture and enhance farmers’ incomes.

Donor: FAO

Expected Outputs:

• Methodological framework for sustainable agri-food systems transitions developed in consultation with key stakeholders
• Curriculum and training materials on sustainable agri-food systems developed for key stakeholders
• Capacities of scientists, officers at state and district-level, including last-mile extension service providers enhanced on sustainable agri-food systems
• Framework for Monitoring and Evaluation and documenting lessons learned, including best practices, developed