Water Use Efficient Agriculture Practice (WEAP)- Project

WEAP Project Report Case Study of WEAP Farmer

Sonar Bangla Foundation (SBF) is implementing the `Water use Efficient Agriculture Practice (WEAP)’-project with the support from Share the Planet Association, Japan and Japan Fund for Global Environment (JFGE). The project is being implemented at 20 villages of 1 no Sudarpur- Durgapur Union and 4 no Niyamot Union and these Unions are in the Kaligonj Upazila of Jhenaidah district. Through the project Sonar Bangla Foundation(SBF) is stepping up with actions for developing capacity of 300 target farmers to devise an alternative policy option and to make the farmers resilient to climate change and adaptation (CCA) actions as well. The core aim of the project is to reduce the use of ground water by creating catchment area/small watershed in the target farmers’ field so as to help farmers increase the use of surface water for Paddy thereby increased soil moisture retention capacity favors growing of multiple crops at farmers ’field. It can briefly be explained that the farming approach can integrate diversified cropping pattern in the medium highland with the increased soil moisture retention capacity in general, and an integration of fast growing fishes with paddy in the lowland, in particular, during the rainy and autumn season will bring additional economic return and access to animal proteins and minerals to the diet of the farming households.

To the make the approach fulfill, SBF plans to consider both medium- high and low land for such integration by twisting both the options; either a farmer can personally go on the intervention for his own or they can form a group of individuals as well. On medium highland, the target farmers will follow multiple cropping pattern and at the same cultivate chemical free vegetables/organic food stuff on their field levies (ails) of low land as nutrition supplements. As such, the project wants to provide farmers with appropriate training on Water-use Efficient Agriculture Practice, necessary technical information, technological knowledge on how to produce& use of the organic fertilizers and bio-pesticide alongside the production& preservation of the quality crop seeds to encourage farmers in multiple cropping. As the process goes on and on, these actions will ultimately help reducing farmers’ common practice of Water-use Intensive Agriculture thereby reduction of cost of production (by lessening high-input agriculture like fertilizers, pesticide etc.) through eco-friendly agronomic practice, and make use of timely available of quality crop seeds at farmers’ reach help promoting awareness and protection of environment as well.

Goal of the WEAP project

To promote farmers’ adaptive Water-use Efficient Agriculture Practice aiming to develop a replicable model in the long run to secure food and environmental sustainability in the locality.

WEAP Project Report Case Study of WEAP Farmer

Major Activities of the WEAP-project

  • 1. Identify and form farmers Group at village, Union with their Apex at Upazilla and conduct project inception meeting with different stakeholders and beneficiaries;
  • 2. Organize various trainings and field days and small support services to develop capacity of the target farmers on WEAP;
  • 3. Target farmers and stakeholders introduce about the WEAP-project;
  • Promotion awareness on land rights and relevant laws among the landless, poor and unconscious community.
  • 4. To develop a Network of farmers for voice raising and to promote WEAP in the locality;
  • 5. Conduct progress review for consultation and End line survey for value judgment.

WEAP Achievements of the project for the reporting

In the reporting period there are progress come through successfully implementation of the devised project activities that have been articulated either as the qualitative achievements or quantitative achievements. In the meantime project’s leaflet developed and printed. All the 20 farmers’ groups formed, 300 farmers have already been oriented with the WEAP- project, all the targeted farmers are being organized to claim their rights and having the legal price of their products, and draft questionnaire for the base line survey has been developed, project inception meeting at Union level successfully organized. In below the progress are shown making it segregated as qualitative and quantitative perspectives.

Qualitative achievements

  • Targeted beneficiaries have been received a clear and concrete idea about the WEAP project and showing their eagerness to be affiliated with the WEAP project;
  • Relevant project key stakeholders have been informed about the ins and outs of the WEAP project through project inception meeting and personal communication.
  • Positive and encouraging commitment and compliments received from the respective stakeholders and undoubtedly their earnest cooperation will pave the way for successful implementing of the project activities within the time frame;
  • A formal beginning of the WEAP project done.

Limitation

There is not any funding flow from the donor because of not the approval from the NGO Bureau. We have just received the approval of the NGO Bureau on 14th June, 2018 and has already emailed to the respective honourable concern.

Learnings

Farmers are bearing the concrete knowledge about the global climate change and seeking something/ technology that is farmers’ friendly, health friendly and above all profitable to farmers.