Small and marginal farmers constitute 62 percent of total farming community in Assam and largely engaged in mono cropping-paddy during kharif season. 95% of the food grain production is from Paddy, Assam has paddy yield of nearly 2 ton/ha during Kharif season compared to national average of 2.393 ton/ha. Low productivity in principle crop, very low farm income increases the vulnerability of the small and marginal farmers, they hardly able to harvest 6-7 months of food security. Farmers grow some vegetables for household consumption. Rest of the period of year they are dependent on different wage earning options. The risks of small and marginal farmers are high; biotic risks such as low/excess, rainfall, disease – pest attack and abiotic risks such as ethnic clashes, non-availability of critical inputs due to frequent bandhs, non-availability of labour during peak crop season.

Intensification of agricultural and livelihood diversification for enhancing the income sources for Rural households has been key for securing and de-risking the vulnerabilities and shocks. While the contemporary approach is to work on adding new options or shifting from current livelihood opportunities. Many a times, such interventions may increase risk to rural household since the activities are more market driven, input intensive and technology driven. Livelihood’s diversification has become the need of the time due to reducing land availability, increased dependency on per unit assets and climate change. Planning for an Intensive household livelihood portfolio in forms of on-farm/off farm activities which can cope and recover from stress, shocks and has a capability to enhance assets and opportunity for future through use of family labour is important in rural context. This diversification shall be driven by intensification approach which eventually shall lead to household and Family specialization. The whole concept of Family based livelihood planning for intensification is driven by investing all the family labour and other assets in it, disregarding both conventional farming activities and wage labour.

Objective-A: Strengthen the social mobilization processes by forming and nurturing 4000 Women into SHGs, Agro – business Centres to scale up the livelihood activities to larger scale.

Objective-B: Assist 3000-4000 HH to take up sustainable livelihood practices, through SUSI Scaling up of sustainable intensification activities.

• Intervention of Scientific practices on pig rearing & Goat rearing
• Sustainable Agriculture Practices and coverage through organic IPDM Practices
• Introduction of Mechanized farm implements through farmer owned Agribusiness Centres.
• Intervention on High Value crops (strawberry, Capsicum, King Chilly etc.)
• Income enhancement of families through incremental income of Rs. 25K-35K/ annum
• Creation of farm ponds for Livelihood and water percolation (storage tanks) for irrigation.

The project targeted families in Home Based Approach and women farmers were covered from each HHs. Financial support given for SUSI demonstration will be a loan based model and revolving of funds through community institutions. Where families taking livelihood support will be given financial aid/support as a revolving fund through SHGs and will repay the whole sum in a 12 months span. The repaid loan will come back to VO, where it will be utilized to support other families to take up livelihood interventions in loan based models from the community institutions on a long run farmer producer collective/company shall be formed for proper functioning and sustainability.

• For Objective A: The project would strengthen already organized women SHGs Formed by AsRLMS so that participating 4000 families can take up above said activities.
• These SHGs will be assisted to adopt systems for transacting the business of saving and credit, and regularly review themselves in monthly village organization meetings (VO).
• Each SHG will have a trained accountant in the group, as the groups mature they will be linked to banks to access credit-gap filling loans. The SHGs will be enabled to play important roles in achieving the Objective A, by ways of their participation in planning, implementation, monitoring and marketing of products.
• For Objective B: Work with identified 4000 poor families in selected villages and hamlets. Approximately 30 villages would be covered under the Project. The activities of the project are mentioned in the following:
• Conduct detailed Natural Resource Management (NRM) planning exercises in 20 -30 Villages to help the villagers come up with various NRM Plans like individual and community assets.
• Assist the selected households to formulate longer-term perspective plans.
• Create capacities to adopt improved technologies and practices and negotiate with the market on mutual terms.
• Ensuring irrigation coverage for the participating families.
• Promote a cadre of community based service providers to provide hand holding assistance and linkage with credit, market and technical agencies to the participating families.
• Livestock rearing with 1000 Landless families.

Project Outcome:

• Strengthening of Women Self Help Groups (SHGs), Agri-Business Centers (ABC) and Farmers Producer Groups, 4000 women mobilized to community institutions.
• Family based resource based Livelihood planning and Village Development Plans in SHGs. 300 SHGs covered through participatory planning approach.
• Productivity enhancement of small and marginal farming families by adoption of SRI principles in paddy, maize, vegetables etc. 3000 Families over a period of 3 years.
• Grooming of extension cadres like Community Resource person and community service providers to support the SHGs and farmers.
• Land development and Natural Resource Management (NRM) structures for small & marginal farming families.
• 2500 Families taking 2-3 livelihood activities, in a sustainable mode.
• Families have incremental income of Rs 25-35K/ annum.
• Farmers Produce is having good access to markets.