These interventions aim to improve farm productivity and hence incomes by promoting a package of efficient farm practices and technologies. During 2007-08, 153 group irrigation projects and sprinkler sets benefiting 369 farmers were installed for demonstration. 1,288 demonstration plots were promoted during the year to introduce new varieties and better farm management practices. 3,368 composting units were established during the year - comprising 2,946 vermi-compost pits and 422 NADEP units. Totally, more than 12,700 composting units have been set up to date. |
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Sustainable Livelihoods
The primary focus of this intervention is to create alternative employment for surplus labour and decrease pressure on arable land by promoting off-farm incomes.
 Livestock Development
With the objective of increasing milk yields of non-descript cattle, a total of 95 Cattle Development Centres (CDCs) serviced 1,900 villages. During the year, 80,056 artificial inseminations (AIs) were performed, 36,288 pregnancies were confirmed, and 20,719 live births took place, taking the total number of progenies to 35,455. Nearly 48,000 animals were covered under the preventive health programme.
In some of the project areas, dairy development was piloted successfully. The total milk collected and sold during the period was 12.88 lakh litres with a turnover of about Rs 158 lakhs.
 Economic Empowerment
Of Women
These programmes aim to genderise development by creating market-linked income opportunities for women. Till 2007-08, 972 self-help groups (SHG) with 13,981 members had mobilized small savings of Rs 97.73 lakhs. 9,941 women have been gainfully employed either through micro-enterprises (1,097) or as self-employed (8,844) through income generation loans. |
