The Sixth National Competition for Rural Innovations

Raisin grading machine invented by Ramdas Madhavrao Jagtap of Nashik, Maharashtra that won a National Award in the Third Competition.

The best three inventions and traditional knowledge practices will be awarded Rs 1,00,000, Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 each in different categories. There will be several consolation prizes of Rs 10,000 each in different categories.

• Type of inventions: Can be in machines, gadgets, implements, or processes for farm operations, household utility, transportation for improved efficiency, energy conservation or generation, and reduction in drudgery, creative use of biodiversity, plant varieties, generation of herbal remedies for human or animal health or developing new or any other low cost sustainable green technology.
• Who can apply: Individuals or groups who have achieved distinction in improving quality and productivity.

Your invention may also qualify for additional funding by Micro Venture Innovation Fund for the following:

• Incubation and business plan.
• Testing and prototype development.
• Pilot scale production.
• Commercial production.

For example, Hyderabad-based Matrix BioSciences, signed a deal with NIF to license some of these inventions. Matrix plans to put the name of each inventor on the label. It will share profits with the inventors.
Products launched by Matrix include:

• A natural pesticide that fights mites and prevents leaf-curl disease, developed by Popatbhai Rupabhai Jambucha, an illiterate farmer from Gujarat.
• A herbal pesticide that keeps aphids, white flies and mealy bugs away, made by Arkhiben Mithabhai Vankar, a village healer and midwife.

How to participate:

• Individuals or groups may send as many entries as they wish on plain paper providing a) genesis of innovation and traditional knowledge b) background of innovation and c) background with complete educational qualification of the innovators/ traditional knowledge holders, accompanied by photographs and/or videos if possible and any other information that may help in replicating the innovations/traditional knowledge. Herbal entries may be accompanied by dried plant samples to enable proper identification procedure.
• Last date: December 31, 2008
• Where to send entries: National Coordinator (scouting and documentation), National Innovation Foundation (NIF), Satellite Complex, Bungalow No 1, Premchandnagar Road , Jodhpur Tekra, Ahmedabad 380015 Gujarat or by email to: campaign@nifindia.org

Low cost method for disinfecting water in the village

How does it work?

1. Get clear bottles made of plastic or glass with lid. Wash the bottles well the first time you use it.
2. Now fill up the bottles with water fully and close the lid.
3. Place the bottles on a corrugated iron sheet exposed to sunlight.
4. Or put them on the roof, as shown in the picture.
5. Leave it in the sun for at least 6 hours.
6. The water is now ready for use.

• Uses solar UV-A radiation and higher water temperature due to sunlight to inactivate pathogens causing diarrhoea.
  
• Reduces risk of water-borne diseases, especially diarrhoea.
• Process developed by the Swiss Department of Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries.
• You can read about the results of trials conducted near Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.

Other tips:

• Use clear bottles, not colored bottles such as brown or green.
• Do not use very large bottles, not more than 1 to 2 litres.
  

Low cost, smokeless stove for rural households

Smokeless biomass 'Oorja' stove that runs on burning pellets made up of agricultural waste being used in a house at Aviyur in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu.

Over 5,000 rural households in Madurai and Virudhunagar districts now have smokeless kitchens. No longer do housewives have to put up with irritation in their eyes by blowing into the traditional ovens. Nor do they have to bear huge LPG cylinder bills.

• Developed in conjunction with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
• A mini-fan, powered by rechargeable batteries, blows air to fan the flames.
• Costs Rs. 675.
• A family of six consumes about six bags of pellets (a 5-kg bag costs Rs. 20) and three litres of kerosene. This combination of fuel costs about Rs. 147 a month, whereas the family was spending Rs. 390 a month earlier.
• Pellets are made from agricultural waste such as sugarcane bagasse, groundnut husk and maize cobs.
  
• Available in parts of Tamil Nadu, Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

Limitations of the biomass stove:

• Making `dosas' and `chappatis' is a problem, as the stove generates excessive heat.
• Once it is lit, it cannot be stopped unlike LPG or kerosene stoves.
• Refuelling cannot be done midway. The entire ash has to be replaced, and the stove has to be lit afresh. However, this can be done in a few minutes.

Business school for rural women who have no formal education

A woman who has successfully completed the training program at Mann Deshi Udyogini — Micro Business School for Rural Women — in Satara district of Maharashtra.

Training program provided by Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank and its sister NGO, the Mann Vikas Samajik Sanstha, in association with HSBC.

• To help the women become entrepreneurs and access the benefits of micro finance.
• A free counseling session helps tap the interest and possible skill sets of the women. They are then encouraged to take the requisite course.
• The courses will range from just a day to 10 days.
  

Topics covered:

• Vocational training in technical skills such as computer training and bag making.
• Financial literacy.
• Marketing techniques and communication skills.
• Confidence building.

Contract farming is good for farmers

Prakash Kulkarni of Vilaspur in Bidar taluk, Karnataka, who has been growing Coleus forskohlii (makandi beru in Kannada) on a contract basis for four seasons.

According to a recent study, profits earned by contract farmers are more than that of non-contract farmers.

• The advantage that accrued to contract farmers was mainly due to savings in production and marketing costs.
• The contractor often provides seeds and other inputs as well as technical know-how.
• The farmers are often trained in improving quality through better post harvesting techniques.
• Contract farmers are being offered relatively higher prices than the prevailing market prices mainly for better quality and as an incentive for ensuring a regular supply.

Other examples of contract farming:

• Marigold is being grown in Vallam and Sengipatti in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu.
• Coleus forskohlii and turmeric are being grown in Salem district of Tamil Nadu.
• The National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation (Nafed) has begun a pilot project to grow potato through the contract farming route in Indore.
• Agro Tech Foods Ltd is planning to go for contract farming to produce sweet corn most likely in Warangal district.
• Godrej Agrovet Ltd intends to take up cultivation of oil palm under contract farming in Joida, Karwar and Yellapur taluks of Uttara Kannada district.
• Hatsun Agro Product Ltd has signed up with SBI to provide loans to dairy farmers for a contract farming programme.

First online trading of horticulture crops to start in 2007 December

Pilot electronic trading in mangoes conducted in June 2007 at the Regulated Marketing Committee delivery center at Pochampalli, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu.

Safal National Exchange (SNX), promoted by Mother Dairy (National Dairy Development Board) jointly with private companies, is planning to launch nationwide online trading in fruits and vegetables in December 2007.

• Initial launch planned to cover apple, mango, banana, potato, onion and tomato.
• Actual traded prices will be displayed on the trading screen in markets across the country.
• Farmers on bringing their produce will grade and sort them at the delivery center as per the quality standards specified by SNX.
• SNX will undertake an inspection and issue a quality certificate to the farmers. SNX will also facilitate warehousing and logistics facility. Products that meet the required norms including size, quality, colour and shape alone will be allowed for trading.
• The delivery needs to be completed before the next day of trading. A penalty of 10 per cent would be imposed on farmers if they failed to deliver the produce after trading.
• Delivery of products to the buyer would take place once the payment is received. A penalty of 10 per cent would also be imposed on buyers if they failed to pay and lift the commodity after trading.
• SNX will pay the farmers after they receive the payment from the buyer and process it.

Benefits to farmers:

• Farmers can know the prices being realized across the country. They will have the option to conclude price for their produce for sale prior to harvest.
• Fewer middle men and lower transaction cost.
• Payments are guaranteed by SNX.
• Quality certification protocol administered by SNX.
• Improvement in post harvest practices for better shelf life and quality of grading, packing and overall delivery, match with rapidly rising expectations of quality by consumers.

Technology helps marginal farmers to grow jasmine in off season

About 60-70 marginal farmers of Kariapatti in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu during the past two seasons have successfully raised commercial jasmines.

• There is demand for jasmine round the year. However, farmers find it difficult to grow them during the lean months of December and January.
• The local agri clinic (under the Ministry of Agriculture scheme to facilitate technology transfer for farmers) has helped them.
• A carefully evolved plant-tending practice is set in motion well ahead of winter. This includes application of the right volume of soluble fertilisers combined with flowering stimulation (required dosage of phosphorous) that convert every bud formed into a flower.
• 5-6 kg of flowers were harvested daily on average from a 20-cent area.
• The agri clinic also guides farmers raising brinjal, lady's finger and onion as well as paddy growers.
• For example, the clinic focuses on technology intervention to enhance brinjal productivity by preventing potential fruit-bearing flowers from withering.