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www.oasisdahamana.org

Integrated Community Organic Farm Project
David Morgan
General Secretary
Oasis Damahana Foundation
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Location : Damahana GN Division, Balangoda, Ratnapura
District, SRI LANKA
 Capacity : Low-income earning families in Balangoda
AGA Division


job Generation: Initially 50 families
Environmental Impact: Highly environmentally friendly investment as project uses organic fertilizer and free ranging poultry that increases soil moisture and biological nutrients, preventing erosion and improving plant diversity.

Economic Benefits : This is a highly viable venture with an acquired market and financially feasible. It has the potential to provide economic and nutritional benefits to all stakeholders including the consumer.


Social Benefits : The project intends to provide a sustainable and replicable alternative to poverty alleviation and curtail excessive use and dependency on chemicals by rural farmers. Further the project will be developed as a benchmark extension programme in the Ratnapura District.


I. Introduction


'Subsistence farming', in the developing world, is considered an abomination attracting only the extreme poor and marginalized farming sectors. And yet very little is being done globally to affectively change the status quo of these vulnerable farming families. Many unsustainable programmes are imposed from time to time failing to achieve the anticipated results, with the blame usually passed on to the farmer. Hence cliches like 'they are lazy' or 'happy to live on dole-outs' are commonly propagated by the prophets of doom.

This project attempts to address some issues confronting these farming communities in a small but significant way at a very local level with the aim of setting up a replicable model that brings together private enterprise, rural farming communities, the city market and the state to work in partnership and mutual trust.
The programme is designed to serve the rural poor who are its direct beneficiaries. These families are left with very few resources other than their land that is not of much value. They heavily rely on small State handouts for survival.

The project takes into consideration the current income generating activities as well as the potential that exists in the region. The Plan also takes into account the trends demonstrated in the recent times on integrated farming systems. The need to integrate alternate farming approaches into the existing farming systems is considered in the plan as a priority area to wean the members away from over exploitation of the forests and excessive use of chemicals.

For this purpose a resource centre will be set up to provide the necessary 'know-how', technical services and other inputs to encourage farmers to join the programme.


Outline of the Proposal

The first phase of the project was setup on a 1/2acre plot of land in Damahana in the Balangoda electorate. The plot is designed to serve as a model for a home garden where a family can earn a substantial income whilst being self-sufficient in most of its vegetables, fruit, meat, fish and eggs, mostly chemical-free. This model is currently partly functional. If developed to its full potential, the project has the capacity to create many self-employment opportunities of which a major component will be women.
Background
The farm in Damahana currently consists of 400 free-ranging hens and a few ducks projecting a daily production of 300 eggs. This was a pilot project done with the intention of studying its potential for future development. The farm garden also comprises of many fruit and vegetable plots.

With the ever-increasing demand for homegrown health foods the demand for chemical and hormones free vegetables, fruits and eggs, is steadily on the rise.

With available natural resources, suited climatic conditions and a very high unemployment rate, the Ratnapura District provides the ideal setting for this project.


II. Needs/Problems

• Nearly 50,000 families within the Balahgoda AGA Division are Samurdhi receipiants: ie a State provided monthly allowance of Rs 450 given to families whose monthly income is less than a dollar per day. This is a big consolation to these poor families but it does not offer a permanent solution to the problem of poverty. A proactive solution will serve to benefit not only the poor in the region but also the low-income earners of other parts of the country.
• A major constraint is that these farmers lacked a market orientation and the communities lacked the capacity to ensure a stable market for its produce.
• Often the farmer is manipulated and exploited by the 'Mudalali' (city merchant), who provides seed and fertilizer of his choice and collects the produce at a price decided by him.
• These rural farmers have now become so dependent on chemical fertilizers and steroids and hormone driven feed for animals to such an extent that they refuse to try any alternatives. This problem is further compounded by the Mudalali and the multinational companies monopolizing the sector. They provide the fertilizer and /or feed ensuring a major proportion of the margin is retained for themselves.
• Animal feed is manufactured by 2 multinational companies that have a total monopoly of the whole industry in the country. The Farmer is controlled by contractual obligations and his profits are reduced to value for labour. To earn a decent living the farm has to have 5000 birds or more.
• In the absence of alternatives the farmer has no choice but to helplessly continue perpetuating the problem he didn't create in the first place. This situation helps keep the farmer permanently depending on the 'Mudalali' for survival.


III. Goals/Objectives

The objective of the project is to create an environment to bring about an attitudinal change in the rural farmer. For this purpose there is a need for a model that works for them to emulate.
The project will ensure that the farmers joining the programme will receive a substantial increase in income, a healthy and nutritional food supply, and be less dependent on the middle man. Efficiently managed farmers will have the time to continue most tasks they were engaged in prior to joining the programme.
The consumer is assured of organically grown food for healthy living.
Once set up the project will be self-sustaining through providing services and inputs required by farmers and consumers.
With these objectives in view there is great potential in expanding and developing the existing farm to serve as a replicable model


Approach

The model will be expanded to produce a targeted number of poultry, eggs, vegetables and fruits, fish and meat. A small farm shop will be set up to sell farm produce at the gate and contracts will be entered into with a few wholesale buyers. All feed will be made at the farm with the bulk of raw materials sourced locally.


IV. Procedures/Scope of Work

Programme Description

The project is located in Balangoda in the Ratnapura District of the Sabaragamuwa Province. This is one of the most impoverished provinces comprising of rural communities where subsistence farming provides the main source of livelihood. Most of these families are beneficiaries of the Government sponsored 'Samurdhi'-poverty alleviation Programmme where each beneficiary receives a maximum Rs 300/- monthly subsistence allowance from the state. There are over 50,000 such families in the Balangoda AGA Division alone.

The farmers are heavily dependent on city vendors who by means of a credit facility supply expensive seed, chemical fertilizer, pesticides, and processed feed for poultry. The end result being that the farmer remains exploited.

The object of this project is to provide the rural poor farmer with an alternate income source in partnership with the State and private sector. While contributing to the cause of reducing poverty, the project will also contribute to improving the quality of life for those participating. It provides the opportunity for them to be self-employed whilst being self-sufficient in meeting a major proportion of the family food and nutrient requirements. It will also serve as a replicable model for the District.

Through a selection process initially 100 Samurdhi families will be selected to join the programme. Once made aware of the values of the project the members will be assisted to set up their own home garden, using available resources. Each member will initially receive a maximum of 5 ducks and 5 layers that have reached point of laying. They will also receive plants and seeds and fingerling as required.

The State will invest in the project by providing financial support to farmers joining the programme. The Samurdhi network will ensure quality standards are maintained with help from relevant Government departments.
Once family food requirements are met excess produce can be sold to neighbours. As the programme expands arrangements will be made for larger large suppliers to purchase excess produce through the network.
On average each member family will have a supplementary monthly income of Rs 3000 which is,10 times that received from the Samurdhi handout.
A model organic farm will ideally provide the community with the opportunity to experience an appropriate farming approach that is more sustainable, healthy and cost effective. But more importantly, from the farmer’s perspective, profitable.

Once set up the project requires very little inputs from there on. It is a viable and sustainable project that will serve as a model for anyone interested in the concept. This is a proven and tested holistic farming approach that is fast becoming the trend throughout the developing world.


Market potential


Currently there is no stable market for the produce and even existing arrangements and market linkages will be lost if not reinforced in time. Stronger contractual bindings are required to protect communities from deals that go sour. At the same time, the entrepreneurship capabilities at the community level, which is very limited and unsophisticated, needs to be improved. In this regard negotiations have been held with the Export Development Board, Cargills Food City and John Keels Holdings among other potential buyers who are very eager to enter into firm contracts once ensured of regular supplies.


V. Timeframe

Description of Work Start and End Dates
Phase One

Exploration Set up a pilot project to test feasibility, constraints etc prior to expansion
Completed
Phase Two

Expansion Increase capacity to make project viable and to provide means for extension

Completed
Phase Three

Extension Participatory community farming programme, initially involving 50 selected families

Require Funding

VI. Funding

The third and most crucial phase of the project is still to be implemented. The sustainability and final outcome of the whole project is heavily pinged on this crucial and last stage.
Anyone interested in partnering us in this project is encouraged to contact us for a more detailed proposal and budget.
David Morgan


Some projects in operation in Damahana
A Biogas Unit owned
A broiler project
A dairy
A free range poultry farm
An Organic farming