Small Farmers' Network

In 2024, with support from YUVALOK FOUNDATION, BENGALURU, we initiated direct financial and advisory support for small farmers in and around Nagavalli village and for two farmers in Yellanchinahalli in Tumkur district. This program aims to encourage farmers to practice organic, sustainable, climate resilient farming through a combination of financial support, technical guidance, and collective knowledge. Goals of this program also include increasing knowledge regarding seed saving/native seed varieties, and improving food security. The group engaged by Punarchith represents a high percentage of women, small-holding farmers (less than 1-2 acres of land), older/elderly farmers, and those with less or no livestock. These farmers are facing the acute effects of climate change, with the severe drought years causing a reduction in their yield and in their ability to save their own seeds for the next harvest.

In terms of technical guidance, the Punarchith team performs soil testing; gives trainings on preparing organic manure, Pachagavya, and Trimurti tonic; purchases and distributes native seeds; takes farmers on exposure visits to other collectives/farms and melas (like the Kisan Swarak Sammelan); and maintains direct contact and follow-up with farmers via field visits and frequent meetings and discussions. Positive changes we have seen through this program are an increase in mixed cropping practices, an increase in using natural fertilizers, a reduction in road-side threshing of grains and a switch to mills, increased awareness about conserving local seed varieties, and returning of ragi/finger millet seeds that had been given for sowing.

This program has brought hope, confidence, awareness, and cooperation into the lives of small farmers. The fact that the supported farmers are ready to participate again in coming years stands as a clear marker of the programís success. Moving forward, the program will focus on establishing a collective among farmers to encourage sharing of labour and seeds, and uniting on issues to imapct better outcomes for them all.

Punarchith team member Sumukh has documented the small farmers and their fields across seasons over the last year to create a short film. Titled Hottege Hittu, or “Subsistence,” the fim focuses on the issues faced by small landholding farmers, their local knowledge, and the changes in agriculture and socio-economic conditions that they have witnessed.