The farmers support component is an important activity toward the realization of the crop diversification scenario shown above. The component includes formation and strengthening of KVA, vegetable promotion, R&D support with strengthening of State Agriculture University (SUA), innovative activity, livelihood support activity and nutrition improvement. The approach and contents of those sub components are summarized below.

2.1 Formation and Strengthening of KVA

One KVA is formed for each sub-project, and KVA operate and maintain the village infrastructure such as irrigation facilities and roads to be constructed or rehabilitated under the Project. The KVA also functions as a focal point for all activities carried out on a sub-project level except activities targeting SHGs such as livelihood and nutrition improvement activities.

2.1.1 Awareness Camp involving Community

Members of KVA are required to have or cultivate land on the target cultivable command area. Therefore, when establishing KVA, the members to become KVA will be confirmed based on the land ownership or actual cultivation situation. The staff belonging to BPMUs will provide a series of support for organizing KVA, and will invite the members to awareness camp for the explanation of the purpose of establishing KVA and the functions required of KVA, giving an example of KVA showing the good performance in Phase-1 and necessary sensitization will be provided in the camp.

 2.1.2 Formation and formalization of KVAs

KVA will be established before the DPR for irrigation facility development is formulated so that KVA would provide the information necessary during formulating the DPR.
During the awareness camp meeting, preparation of the articles of incorporation, selection of office bearers preparation of required document for registration will be made. The formulated KVA will be registered with Registrar of Cooperative Society. The procedure for establishing KVA is as shown in the Figure 2.1.1.
Figure 2.1.1 Procedure to Establish KVA

2.1.3 Capacity development of KVAs for O&M Management

After preparation of DPR, construction work will be carried out. Before completion of the construction work, the capacity development training on operation and maintenance of irrigation and other infrastructure will be carried out by the BPMU. In the training, KVA will develop an operation and maintenance plan for infrastructure facilities. After the transfer of the facility, KVA will start to maintain the facility according to the O&M plan formulated. BPMU will give the necessary follow up training and advise though out the project period.
The contents of O&M training are given below.

• Conduct workshop to discuss principles and practices of irrigation and water management.
• Conduct training on water use planning for equitable water distribution.
• Conduct field training on basic engineering skills with reference to land levelling, water courses, field channels, etc.
• Conduct training to MC Members (officer bearers) on participatory management processes including leadership, communication and conflict resolution.
• Conduct training on accounting principles and practices; accounts, book keeping, financial audit and financial disclosers.
• Training on credit management.

2.2 Vegetable Promotion

2.2.1 Incubation and Capacity Development of Community Motivators

The employment and incubation of community motivator, which was also adopted in Phase-1 activities, will be implemented in Phase-2. The community motivator is selected from other villages nearby the target village with sociological academic background. The selected community motivator will coordinate all activities in the target subproject and support the PMU. Since the activities in Phase-2 are more diverse than in Phase-1, two community motivators consist of one male and one female will be employed, with emphasis on gender aspects for decision-making and beneficiary selection in sub project activities. The following training will be conducted on capacity building of community motivator. The salaries of community motivator will be paid during the project implementation period.

• Introduce advanced community motivators activities in Phase-1
• Aware the roles and responsibility on community motivators in the project
• Conduct facilitation training
• Conduct exposure visit to the advance area to have a clear image of the goals and expected activities

 2.2.2 Training of Farm Economy Management, Training on farm management by farm type (advanced, intermediate and conservative)

Training on farm economy management and cultivation skills will be conducted with due consideration of farmers’ skills and motivation. In principle, farmers will be categorized into three groups, that will be conservative, intermediate, and advanced farmers. Conservative farmers are basically not so positive for crop diversification as well as cultivation of commercial crops, they have less interests to improvement of their skills. Intermediate farmers are interested in get more production and more profit, but not so positive. Meanwhile, advanced farmers have high interests to better situation, and try to improve their skills and earn more profit.
Especially for conservative farmers, continuous support is needed until they realize the effect of crop diversification.   In addition, Phase-1 was specialized in the transfer of cultivation technology, and it did not provide support from the perspective of farm management according to the actual situation of the farmer. Therefore, it is undeniable that crop diversification has been imposed on farmers. From that reflection, in parallel with the cultivation technology, proper guidance on cultivation planning for the purpose of improving farm management should be provided and motivate the farmers   for crop diversification from the farmer's perspective. The farm management between conservative and commercial farmers might be different. In    case    of    conservative farmers, low input and low  risk type management may be preferred while market-oriented management aiming at high return is more suitable for commercial farmers.

In Phase-2, farm management capacity will be strengthened through four years of follow-up through the following training.
If these activities are carried out only by the staff in PMU, the extension staff of the PMU will be heavily burdened, and there is a concern that the quality of the activities will deteriorate. Therefore, the Phase- 2 will carry out dissemination activities using resources in the State Agriculture University, KVK, advanced farmers, private companies and FPOs. In Phase 2, a small satellite office will be established between the sub-project and the BPMU office in order for PMU agricultural extension officers to efficiently manage training and field demonstrations. This will shorten the travel time and enable more efficient dissemination activities for the extension officer. For conducting trainings, technical manuals and materials developed by Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) “Phase II Project for Crop Diversification in Himachal Pradesh” and by Phase 1 will be utilized as appropriate.
In case there are farmers in the KVAs who intend to introduce fruits as diversification, the Project will facilitate in establishing contact with Horticulture Extension officer for providing the technical support as well the planting material.

Pilot project for SHEP

The concept and experience of JICA initiative of Small Horticulture Empowerment Project (SHEP) will be introduced on pilot basis. The concept of SHEP approach is thinking from the economic theory "grow to sell" and based on a psychological theory "a mechanism for unlocking farmer motivation".
Key points for these steps are: 1) participatory baseline survey carried out by farmers and extension officers together, 2) stakeholder forum for farmers to contact and discuss with actors from agricultural industry sector, 3) demand -driven technical training for farmer’s requirement identified in market survey.
The essence of SHEP approach is farmer’s decision making based on their own collecting information and analysis on the potential market for conducting agricultural business.
The preliminary assessment for adaptability of SHEP approaches in Phase-2 is summarized as follows

Table 2.2.3  Preliminary Assessment for Adaptability of SHEP Approaches in Phase-2

Training for SHEP approach will take place as a pilot activity targeting two KVAs in each BPMU, in total 28 KVAs. The target KVAs will be provided with training course for SHEP approach as below1 prior to Training cum method demonstration on Cultivation Practice of vegetable crops. The detailed programme should be prepared in accordance with “SHEP Handbook for Extension Staff” published by JICA.

2.2.3 Seed production and Demonstration (DOA)

DoA’s seed farms will be prepared and developed through project for demonstrating of seed and other agricultural inputs, and promote public private partnership in a way to demonstrate private company’s seed and other inputs. The details are described in Table 3.4.4 “Operational Procedure for Demonstration Firm at DoA’s seed farms” at Chapter 3.3.2.

2.2.4 Food Grain's Productivity Training & demonstration

Food grain cultivation training and demonstration will be conducted through four cropping seasons (two years). The summary of training is as summarized as the following table. The operation to arrange resource persons and training management by extension officers will be carried out in the same manner as Section 2.2.2.

2.2.5 Provision of Farm Machinery

Farm mechanization plays an important role in providing optimal utilization of resources and economy in time as well as in reducing drudgery of farm operations. This judicious use of time, labour and resources facilitates sustainable intensification (multi-cropping) and timely planting of crops, leading to an increase in production and productivity.
The physiography of farms and the practices of farm operations needs a selective approach for right kind of induction of farm machinery like manually operated implements, self-propelled small machinery and more use of mini tractors, power tillers and power weeders for ease of doing farm operations in small and terraced field. This is going to increase timeliness of operations as well as reduction in drudgery of operation. It has also been observed that in agriculture involvement of female workers is more in comparison with male workers, therefore gender issue needs to be considered for farm operations and light weight farm implements and machinery holds key position for the induction of new farm equipment for food grain as well as for vegetable cultivation.
The selection of beneficiaries will be carried out by the following process, and the final decision will be made by BPMU. The machinery will be provided with cost sharing basis contributed 50% of the actual machinery cost by the Project.

 2.2.6 Provision of Poly House and Ploy Tunnel

Vegetable cultivation in poly houses gives very high yield and the quality of produce is very good. It provides cover against natural calamities also. This activity has already been tested in Phase-I and there is great scope to expands this in Phase-II. The poly houses of different sizes shall be installed on farmers’ fields on cost sharing basis. Besides vegetable, nursery production is also very remunerative in poly houses and we can produce nursery in advance.

The selection of the potential beneficiaries is carried out by the KVA first by looking at the performance of the farm economic management and field demonstration of vegetable and availability of the fund for cost sharing. The community motivator will support for fair selection of the candidate in the village. After selection of the potential beneficiaries in each sub project, the BPMU will decide the beneficiaries within available budget.

Table 2.2.8           Provision of Poly House and Poly Tunnel

 2.2.7 Provision of Poly House and Ploy Tunnel

Vegetable cultivation in poly houses gives very high yield and the quality of produce is very good. It provides cover against natural calamities also. This activity has already been tested in Phase-I and there is great scope to expands this in Phase-II. The poly houses of different sizes shall be installed on farmers’ fields on cost sharing basis. Besides vegetable, nursery production is also very remunerative in poly houses and we can produce nursery in advance. The selection of the potential beneficiaries is carried out by the KVA first by looking at the performance of the farm economic management and field demonstration of vegetable and availability of the fund for cost sharing. The community motivator will support for fair selection of the candidate in the village. After selection of the potential beneficiaries in each sub project, the BPMU will decide the beneficiaries within available budget.

2.2.8 Program for Next Generation

Program for next generation has potential to involve the youth both undergoing education as well as those looking for career. With collaboration of agriculture collage and industrial training institute, the target students of 30 will be selected and conduct the program with utilization of their facility. Educating and exposing to the farming sector technologies across the food supply chain enable these youth to make up their mind in taking up career in agriculture field. Proposed programs will not only motivate youth to go for education on farming sector but also to take up capacity building and entrepreneurship avenues in this sector.
The contents of the next generation program are summarized as follows. The program will be outsourced to the other consulting firm who has the experience in the entrepreneurship of the small business in the rural area.

2.3 Research and Seed Production

2.3.1 R & D Support

The project will invest in pilot research with the aim of utilizing new technologies in the future. These activities contribute to the achievement or sustainability of project outcomes during or after project implementation. The activities are mainly outsourced to SAU Palampur, and the quality of research results is managed by PMU. The progress and results of the activities will be confirmed quarterly, and a result report meeting will be held every year.

2.3.2 Infrastructure development at SAU for vegetable seed production

The objectives of infrastructure development for vegetable seed production in the SAU is to establish the modal seed production farm by utilizing/harnessing the maximum potential of University land resource by developing new farm area to put under quality seed production, create irrigation facilities, infrastructure and its protection against wild and stray animals. The target seeds are nucleus, breeder, foundation and certified/TL of vegetables, pulses, oilseeds, forage and grasses, spices and cereals. SAU will supply of quality seeds to the farmers and diversify the traditional cropping pattern and HRD in seed production of vegetables and other crops through trainings to farmers and enable them to produce the seeds at their own.

2.4 Innovative Activities

Innovative activities aim to disseminate advance technologies for farmers for productivity improvement. New center of excellence (COE) will be established for provision of quality seedling for vegetable such as tomato to the member of KVAs. The COE will be utilized for pilot business trial to facilitate the collaboration between FPO and agribusiness operators.

2.5 Nutrition Improvement Approach

While nutrition conditions in Himachal Pradesh has being improved and better than other parts of India, malnutrition in various forms, including undernutrition of children, obesity of men and women, and anaemia of children and women, still exists as shown in the table below.

Source: NFHS-4 (2015-16)
In order to contribute to malnutrition in the State from agriculture perspective, three activities are proposed under nutrition improvement. Basic approach under the sub component is to utilize resources and expand activities carried out under TCP. Nutrition improvement activities will be undertaken as a part of Farmer Support Component, and direct beneficiaries are women in SHGs, children under the anganwadi system, and students in local schools. BPMU will deploy NGOs for livelihood support for SHGs, and nutrition improvement will be also taken care of by these NGOs under supervision by Nutrition Expert in DPMU, with support from PMC.

Target Area

Nutrition improvement sub component will be implemented on a pilot basis, as this will be the first experience for DoA to conduct nutrition sensitive activities at certain scale. Out of four DPMU, this activity will be carried out by one DPMU. Considering the advantage of experience of nutrition improvement activities in TCP, 75 sub projects under DPMU Palampur is tentatively selected as target area. The finalization of target area will be decided based on the result of baseline survey to be conducted in the Project.

Indicative Beneficiaries

• 4,500 families of members in 75 KVAs in the target sub projects
• 2,000 students in 10 schools
• 750 children in the anganwadi system

Implementation Structure

One outsourced Nutrition Expert will be assigned at DPMU Palampur, and DPMU Palampur will take charge of overall nutrition improvement activities in 75 sub projects. Field level intervention will be done by extension officers in four BPMUs.
Nutrition Expert at DPMU Palampur, with support from PMC, will coordinate with officers in charge of livelihood activities in DPMU and BPMUs, and report to District Project Manager and Deputy Director (Agriculture Extension cum Farmer Support and Institutional Development) , who is in charge of livelihood in SPMU.