16 years’ back in the year 1999, BTS entered into strategic implementation of Sustainable Agricultural Project (SAP). The major objective of the project is to ensure food security & sovereignty among the poor, minimizing indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides while promoting the use of bio-fertilizers and bio-pest controls under the agro- farming techniques.
The project gives emphasis on local natural resource optimization through Natural Resource Management(NRM) The project has been launched in two phases: Home/Nutrition Gardening by rural poor housewifes and Small Farm Improvement Program for small and marginal farmers in 10 villages. Through this project, it is expected that the farmers will be able to cultivate fallow lands with residual moisture.
DRCSC having supports from Christian Aid -UK initially supported such type of initiative to promote Bio-Farming with country seeds promoting bio-fertilisers or pesticides. Next, PPI-USA has extended their kind support to promote Community Seed Banks and Community Grain Bank with Farmers’ Capacity building towards organic farming alongwith A-V aids to sensitize the FRC (Farmer Resource Clubs) members on different agro issues/problems. Promotion of Animal Husbandry(rearing of Ducks/Chicks etc under the Farmers’ School of Learning(FSL) Project are its main components.
Besides this, AID (Association of India’s Development) USA has been supporting BTS farmers’ groups, Farmers’ Clubs to train up and promote the programmes to enrich their knowledge and capacity on sustainable agriculture / bio-farming project(SAP). Till date 9000+ farmers have been organized. Seed supprots to poor farmers along with promotion of vermi-compost or bio-fartilisers, promote co-trainers, soil tests, develop drama group to give message of sustainable agriculture to the community people in the area etc. are the key efforts of the project-SAP.
BTS had its partnership with Action Aid, Kolkata / New Delhi to inplement a Pilot Project on working with farmers for their rights under which capacity building, interface meeting with different stake holders, workshop on KCC (Kishan Credit Cards), Crop Insurance, MSP (Minimum Supprot Price) and Krishi Milan Mela (Agro-Fair ) etc. Were conducted and finaly have a 10 Farmers’ Institution (Clubs) in the 10 project villages under to CD blocks.
BTS had a chance to have partnership with the South 24 Pgs. Dist. Agricuture Deptt. Govt. Of WB to organised Seed Village Programme (SVP) in 5 Villages Kultali Block alongwith PKVY (Paramparagata Krishi Vikash Yojona) efforts have been initiated covering 85 acres of land in the village Kishorimohunpur close to Baikunthapur.
Continued suggestions and guidance from DRCSC (Dev Research Communication & Services Centre) , Kolkata and Lok Kalyan Parishad, Kolkata alongwith District (Dy Director of Agriculture-DDA), Block Agricultural Administration(ADA) have been enriching our initiatives technically and physically in field-level demonstration.