April 2004 Vol.5 No.1
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Inside Project Watch ..page 2 CIKS Talk ..page 3 Books, Videos... & Visitors Book .. page 4 April 2004 Vol.5 No.1 TRAINER’S TRAINING PROGRAMME ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems conducted a Trainer’s Training Programme on Sustainable Agriculture between 28th January and 3rd February 2004 at the field office, Singaperumal Koil. The training programme was conducted for the representatives of NGOs in Tamilnadu and was supported by the Regional Centre of CAPART based in Hyderabad. Mr. M.V. Murugappan of the Murugappa Chettiar Research Institute, Chennai and Dr. Aru. Solaiappan, Agricultural Scientist from Chenglepet inaugurated the programme by lighting the ‘Kuthuvilakku’. The main objective of the programme was to train the participants on various aspects of Sustainable Agriculture and help them formulate fundable proposals to CAPART. Twenty three representatives from 22 NGOs participated Participants visiting the herbal nursery at Thandarai in this training programme. The participants were trained on various topics of organic farming like Vrkshayurveda, - The Traditional Plant Science, Biological Methods of Pest and Disease Management, Importance of Traditional Seed Varieties, Environment and Soil Conservation, Plants in Pest Control, Organic kitchen gardening, Pest and disease management in cotton, Cultivation and marketing of medicinal plants and Organic paddy cultivation. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Ismail of Ecoscience Research Foundation, Dr. Aru. Solaiappan, Agricultural Scientist and Mr. Suresh, Gram Mooligai Company Limited were some external resource persons in addition to the CIKS staff. Mr. P.N.Srinivasan, Director of CAPART, New Delhi spent a day with the participants. He evaluated the proposals that were prepared by the participants and discussed about the preparation of project proposals. He gave suggestions to the participants in this regard. Demonstrations on the preparation of various biopesticides and seed treament techniques were done to the participants. Equal importance was given both for theory and practical sessions. The participants were taken to the experimental farm of CIKS at Sukkankollai where they had an opportunity to learn about different techniques of organic farming. The various composting techniques were explained to the participants practically. The participants also visited the herbal garden at Thandarai and the biopesticide unit at Venpakkam. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Ismail during his lecture CIKS News April 2004 Vol.5 No.1 CCF coordinated by Centre between 22nd - 26th March for Environment Education in the Sukkankollai farm. (CEE), New Delhi. On 26th Various aspects of integrated PROJECT WATCH February, a one day organic kitchen garden was A round-up of our activities this quarter workshop was hosted by explained to the farmers and Mid-term The programme was held on CEE, Bangalore. About 25 demonstration of preparation NGOs from 4 southern states of biopesticides was also Evaluation and 30th & 31st January in Sirkazhi and 19th & 20th February in participated in this workshop. done. The farmers visited the Training Kancheepuram. Nearly 90 CIKS made a presentation demo medicinal plant garden Our centre has been farmers were trained in these about the experience of the and the composting areas in implementing a project on programmes. The District completed project in the the farm. “Enhancing livelihood Collector Mr. Veera workshop. This was followed security of small and marginal shanmugamani, I.A.S., was the by a good discussion. Insect rearing lab at farmers”, supported by guest of honour in the Sirkazhi CAPART. The mid-term Educational programme held at Sirkazhi. CIKS is about to set up an evaluation of this project was Material on Organic He highlighted the importance insect rearing lab for its done by Mr. L. Veera- of organic farming. In the Cotton experiments at Sirkazhi. In raghavan. He visited our programme, the farmers were In connection with the this connection, Subhashini office at Kotturpuram and given an orientation to organic preparation of educational Sridhar attended a three day had discussion with our staff cotton cultivation, and the material on organic cotton, training programme on 5th, on 2nd January. On 3rd, he importance of shifting to organic Subhashini Sridhar under- 6th and 7th of March at the visited the project site and cotton cultivation was stressed. took a trip to Delhi and insect rearing lab of had an interaction with the Ten farmers have been identified Nagpur between 8th - 14th of Dr. Kumar at University of beneficiaries and field staff. from each of these groups. January. She visited the Agricultural Sciences, These farmers would be Regular training programm- National Centre for Pest Bangalore. She was trained provided with technical and Management and Indian on various aspects of insect es for the beneficiaries form material support for organic part of this project. A training Agricultural Research rearing and its related topics. cotton cultivation during the Institute and had discussion programme on “Ethno- current season. COMPAS Team at veterinary practices for cattle with the scientists. She also care”- was conducted by a visited the Vidarba Organic Egypt Trainer’s Training Farmers Association at well known veterinarian A.V. Balasubramanian was at Programme at SRD Vidarba and the Central Dr. Abdul Razak. Farmers Egypt between 14th to 27th Cotton Research Institute at from Anoor, Alavai and In connection with the March to attend the Nagpur. Venpakkam participated in consultancy provided to conference on – “Bridging FRLHT’s project on the training programmes held Workshops on Scales and Epistemologies” on 15th, 16th and 17th of ‘Development of User’s Organic Kitchen that was held as part of the – March respectively. The Package’, K. Subramanian “Millenium Ecosystem farmers were trained on and P. Murugan of CIKS Gardening Assessment” that was hosted simple techniques for curing conducted a Trainer’s Training CIKS has been implementing by Bibliotheca Alexandrina at ailments in cattle using locally Programme on 20th and 21st a project on establishing Alexandria in Egypt. As a part available plants and other of February and a follow up kitchen gardens to improve of the panel presentation by materials. workshop on 12th March at the nutritional security of the COMPAS team, Society for Rural Develop- households with support from A.V.Balasubramanian Training on ment, Dharmapuri. Nearly 50 HIVOS. In connection with presented a paper on Organic Cotton farmers participated in the this, 10 organic farmers “Traditional and Modern Cultivation workshop and shared their sangams have been formed in Sciences and Technologies in experience in organic farming. As a part of the DST 10 different villages in the India : Trading New Madhurantakam block of Paradigms for Old”. He also supported project on “Organic UNDP Meeting Cotton Cultivation”, CIKS Kancheepuram district. Five attended the meeting of conducted two training CIKS had completed a one day orientation work- International coordinators programmes, one each at project under the Small grants shops were conducted for the group of the COMPAS Sirkazhi and Kancheepuram. programme of UNDP GEF- members of 5 sangams programme. CIKS News April 2004 Vol.5 No.1 CIKS TALK Seminars, Discussions, Presentations, discuss regarding the project submitted to CAPART Workshops, Fairs... COMPAS institutionalisation by the NGO, CAST. process with Mr. Vijay Padaki Visit to SARI, Melur Zoofest in Stella Maris National Workshop at of P&P Group. He met Dr. Ganeshan Balachander of K.Vijayalakshmi inaugurated Bangalore On 3rd March, K. Vijaya- Ford Foundation on 12th at lakshmi and Anand Rama- the inter-collegiate festival As a part of an Action New Delhi. chandran, our web and design “Zoofest” organised by the Research Study conducted by On 13th, he visited National consultant visited the SARI Zoology Department of Stella Ford Foundation, a National th Institute of Rural Development project of N-logue communi- Maris College on 9 January. workshop on “Conservation, at the invitation of Shri. Lalith cations at Melur. They visited Livelihood and Enterprise” was Visit of Friends of Mathur, I.A.S., Director the internet Kiosks in about 4 organised by ATREE, Lanka General of NIRD. He also had villages and had discussions Bangalore. H. Saraswathy and a meeting with Dr. Geetha with the operators and the A group of 17 NGOs from T.D. Nirmala Devi attended Patel, Dy. Gen. Manager and users. Srilanka visited our experi- this workshop on 30th & 31st Mr. Gupte, Director of Godrej mental farm at Sukkankollai on of January. They made group of companies to discuss Workshop at Thanjavur 1st January. They were given presentations on the Natural possible collaboration in a farewell on 9th of January. Resource based enterprise of On 26th March, Thanjavur Organic Farming. Multipurpose Social Service CIKS Day CIKS - Biopesticide unit, Integrated home garden and Farmers festival at Society, an NGO at Tanjore CIKS turned nine on 23rd conducted a workshop on the Arogyam scheme. Annamalai University January. To mark this occasion, organic farming. Subhashini the CIKS team visited the field Symposium at Loyola Subhashini Sridhar participated Sridhar served as a resource station at Sirkazhi and had College in the farmers festival person for this workshop and discussions on the future of conducted by Annamalai highlighted the importance of R.Sridevi and Petzy CIKS.This was followed by University on 12th February. indigenous varieties and the C.Mathuram attended