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The district Kangra of Himachal Pradesh has very diverse agro ecological situations right from sub tropical (Low and Mid Hills) to temperate climates (high hills). Some of AESs of the district which are situated in the mid hills (AES 2&3) are characterized by rainfed, sub tropical and sub mountainous terrain. Such areas were covered with forest of sub tropical species of trees, shrubs and herbs which used to cater the needs of food material of the wild animals like monkeys, baboons etc. With the increase in population and scarcity of fuel wood, fodder and timber inhabitants from adjoining areas started cutting the forest trees thereby depriving these wild animals of their food and they started shifting from jungles and forests to the inhabited areas and damaging the crops. The monkey problem was prevailing mainly in Dehra, Pragpur, Lamba Gaon, Bhedu Mahadev, Baijnath, Kangra and Nagrota bagwan bloks of this district.

During the last decade the situation has become so alarming that the farmers of such monkey menace areas have abandoned cultivation of crops particularly maize. In the year 2001 when the ATMA project started and SREP document was prepared, the issue of damaged to crops by monkey emerged as a critical issue  and ATMA Kangra took up the initiatives to tackle this problem.

Intervention and process:                                                                                    Back to Top

               The prioritized problem was thoroughly discussed in problematic area by conducting group meeting with the active involvement of KVK Scientists , BTT / FAC Members and Innovative farmers of these areas and keeping in view the past experience of some of the innovative farmers and recommendations of the scientists, it was decided to diversify from maize crop to ginger and turmeric in monkey menace areas which are least damaged by them and giving good returns as compared to maize crop. This Intervention was implemented in May, 2001 with the introduction of crops like ginger, turmeric & colocasia which are not relished by monkeys.

Initially 15 Farmers Interest Groups (FIGs) representing 5 blocks namely Dehra, Pragpur, Nagrota Bagwan, Bhedu Mahadev and Baijnath of the district were formed in the problematic areas and farmers were motivated by organizing farmers trainings /awareness camps to raise ginger & turmeric crops. Thus 15demonstrations of these crops under the technical guidance of BTT and KVK were conducted in the groups. In the first year farmers were reluctant to adopt this intervention but innovative FIG's leaders Sh. Baldev Singh, Smt. Surindera Sood of Dehra Block, Sh. Dharam Singh of Nagrota Bagwan block, & Sh. Masat Ram and Sh. Baldev Singh of Kangra Block, helped ATMA in motivation & adoption of this intervention. In this way the farmers could get additional income of 50000-60000/ha. During the crop period exposure visits of other monkey menace areas were also conducted to these success story sites and farmers were motivated to adopt these crops. During 2nd year (2002), this intervention was further replicated in another 20 FIGs thereby benefiting more than 500 farmers of these areas who earned higher returns as compared to maize crop. The exposure visit of adjoining problematic areas were also conducted to success story sites, which resulted in fast adoption of this intervention in anothor areas. At present this intervention is successfully replicated in more than 60 FIGs of monkey menace area thereby covering more than 1500 farmers and the economic activity has increased to the tune of Rs. 25-30 lakh per annum in these area.          
 

Benefits                                                                                                                            Back to Top

As a result of this successful trials, in the subsequent year this intervention was adopted by more than 60 FIGs of affected areas by covering more than 80 ha area under these crops, thereby creating an economic activity of Rs.25-30 lakhs. The produce was procured by the Department of Agriculture at reasonable price for further distribution to the FIGs & WIGs of monkey menace area by introducing buy-back method. Other farmers of the area also started raising these crops and about 20 ha area was covered increasing thereby the per ha returns of the farmers significantly.  

Lesson Learned                                                                                                            Back to Top

Replication Process                                                                                                  Back to Top

            At present the farmers of monkeys menace affected area have taken up the cultivation of ginger, turmeric , colocasia crops on the large scale and in the district more than 100 FIGs have adopted this practice in more than 150.0 ha area and thereby earning income of Rs. 50000-60000 per ha and still there is increasing trend to replace the maize crop in the other affected areas.

 Case Study                                                                                                                      Back to Top

   Initiation:

Future Implication                                                                                                  Back to Top