E x p l o r i n g t h e E m p l o y m e n t P o t e n t i a l i n R u r a l a r e a s o f B u n d e l k h a n d r e g i o n , M a d h y a P r a d e s h

T I K A M G A R H & N I W A R I D I S T R I C T R E P O R T 0 2 0 2

R E B M

E Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and C

E Policy Analysis D

During the course of the Study, the Project Team from IGG benefitted immensely by the inputs gathered during several interactions with:  The District Collectors  The Chief Executive Officers of Zila Panchayats  The district heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, District Industries Centre, Forests, Tribal Development.  District Project Managers and staff of State Rural Livelihoods Mission  Staff of Civil Society Organisations working on rural livelihoods in Bundelkhand region, namely, ASA, CARD, Development Alternatives, Haritika, Mahila Chetna Manch, PRADAN, Samarthan, and SRIJAN and World Vision  Krishi Vigyan Kendras in the districts covered  District Development Managers of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

The Project Team has also benefitted from the inputs from and interaction with the participants of three meetings with the district level heads of different departments and institutions organised by the District Collectors:  At Sagar on 16th October 2019  At Damoh on 17th October 2019  At Tikamgarh on 29th January 2020

Disclaimer : During the course of the study, sizeable data was collected by the authors from various departments and official sources. In addition, a lot of historical information was obtained from the officers, community and other stakeholders through structured interviews and Focus Group Discussions. While the authors have taken due care to validate this data to the extent possible, not all of it could be verified or corroborated, and therefore, IGG cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of the same.

Exploring Potential of Employment in Rural Areas of Bundelkhand Region of Madhya Pradesh

District Tikamgarh & Niwari

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis, Bhopal

December 2020

© Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis (IGG) Sushasan Bhawan Bhadbada Square, T. T. Nagar Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, 462003 www.aiggpa.mp.gov.in

This report is the property of IGG. We encourage dissemination of our work for non-commercial and non-exclusive purposes, so long as the source is properly acknowledged.

To be cited as: IGG; Exploring Potential of Employment in Rural Areas Bundelkhand Region of Madhya Pradesh – District Tikamgarh & Niwari; Bhopal, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis (IGG); December 2020.

This report is one of the outputs of the study commissioned by the Centre for NRM and Decentralised Governance, IGG on request of the Bundelkhand Development Authority (BDA) to assess the potential of enhancing employment in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh. A separate report on the study of employment in urban areas is being published by IGG separately.

This report presents district-specific situation and potential of rural employment in district Tikamgarh & Niwari. It should be read together with the Main Report covering the entire study area of five districts in the Bundelkhand Region of Madhya Pradesh.

Conducted for: Bundelkhand Development Authority (BDA)

Project Guidance: Mr. R. Parasuram, Ex-Director General, IGG Mr. Mangesh Tyagi, Principal Advisor, Centre for NRM & Dec. Governance, IGG

Project Team: Dr. Anitha Govindaraj, Advisor, Centre for NRM & Decentralised Governance, IGG Mr. Yugandhar Mandavkar, Fellow, IGG Mr. Soumitra M. Peshave, Research Associate, IGG Mr. Dhananjay Singh Yadav, Research Associate, IGG Mr. Rohit Ranjan, Research Associate, IGG

Key Words: Rural employment, rural enterprises, group enterprises, cluster approach, resource based potential, Bundelkhand

The Key Takeaways

The economy of Bundelkahnd region is primarily agrarian, and the prevailing conditions suggest the need to make agriculture more remunerative, so as to provide higher income to the people engaged in it. It is possible to strengthen the agriculture and allied sectors along with backward and forward linkages, along with increasing employment opportunities in other sectors in the short run.

Key Recommendations

 Promotion of new sub-sectors and activities and to revamp the existing ones  Skill building to improve employability and productivity of rural youth  Capacity building of the entrepreneurs  Establishing systems and other reforms

1. Sub-sectors and Activities

1.1 Agriculture  Main crops : It is recommended that pulses (Bengal gram and black gram) and oilseeds (groundnut and sesame) should be promoted on a large scale, while wheat and soybean should be discouraged.  Horticulture : Fruit crops recommended are lemon, papaya, gooseberry, guava and pomegranate; and vegetable crops recommended are ginger, turmeric, taro root, potato, chilli, in addition to the seasonal vegetables (like gourds, brinjal, cucurbits, etc).  Aquaculture : District Tikamgarh and Niwari has several hundred tanks where fishes are cultivated and/ or harvested by the local fisherfolk. This activity can be strengthened further through technical and financial support. Similarly, water chestnut and lotus seed cultivation canbe promoted.

1.2 Livestock Buffalo rearing is a common practice, which may be encouraged along with fodder cultivation. Goat and backyard poultry should be promoted among the poor households. In both the cases, provision of healthcare services would greatly improve the profitability. Such services may be provided through farmers producer organisations. Cattle feed manufacturing plant is recommended.

1.3 NTFP Collection Collection of non-timber forest produce like neem seeds, tendu leaves, mahua,and chironji support several households, who could be organised into SHGs or JFMCs and provided with working capital support so that they can help the member by preventing distress sell.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page i

1.4 Traditional industries It is suggested to strengthen the existing traditional village industries like bamboo crafts and brass ware by providing working capital and by providing systematic marketing channels.

1.5 Other industries Production of woven fabric, apparels (tailoring), incense sticks, etc. is carried out as individual and group activities on a limited scale. No additional efforts are suggested in this sub-sector.

2. Skills and Capacity Building of Youth and Farmers

 Extension services in agriculture and livestock need to be seriously strengthened and outreach increased to the farm level. It is recommended to engage CSOs to provide training, field level technical support on a massive scale.  It is recommended to develop cadres of barefoot professionals for agriculture and for livestock healthcare in all blocks. It is possible to promote new FPOs and strengthen the existing ones for this extension and promotion of scientific agriculture.

3. Capacity Building on Entrepreneurship

Managerial skills and marketing skills should be build in entrepreneur groups (SHGs, FPOs, etc). Attempts to teach every entrepreneur to become an accountant, a manager, salesperson, trader and marketer should be avoided. A cluster approach is recommended in this case.

4. Establishing Systems and Sector Reforms

4.1 Agriculture extension This was found to be the weakest link in the entire region. The Department of Agriculture should take urgent steps to correct this malady. It is recommended to engage competent CSOs to provide training, on-site technical support and field level handholding on a comprehensive scale.

4.2 Market information and linkage While there is a huge amount of raw information available on the internet or announced on radio broadcasts, there is a need to process it and present it in a comprehensible and meaningful manner to the farmers and entrepreneurs in the villages.

4.3 Institutional credit It was observed in district Tikamgarh that the banks are generally hesitant in extending credit to the individuals and SHGs. There is a need to expand the borrower through both micro finance and mainstream credit institutions.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page ii

The Opener

Employment creation assumes a great importance for policy makers and development administration as a natural response to the development challenges of Bundelkhand region. Rural Bundelkhand is characterised by poor resource endowment, recurrent droughts, poverty, and resultant migration. Low natural resource endowment, together with low rate of industrialisation and commerce, has resulted in low employment opportunities for the people.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis (IGG) conducted a study on Exploring the Employment Potential in Bundelkhand Region of Madhya Pradesh. It was commissioned by the Bundelkhand Development Authority (BDA) towards the overall development of the region with focus on rural employment. It covered five districts of Bundelkhand region namely, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Panna, Sagar, and Tikamgarh & Niwari. Niwari is recently bifurcated from district Tikamgarh, but for this report Tikamgarh and Niwari are considered as one undivided district. The study was carried out with a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods using information gathered from both primary and secondary sources.

This report is a result of the hard work and persistent efforts of Dr Anitha Govindraj, Advisor and Mr Yugandhar Mandavkar, Fellow. Their efforts came to fruition as the study was industriously supported by the team of Research Associates Soumitra Peshawe, Dhananjay Singh Yadav and Rohit Ranjan. The work could not have been completed without the encouragement and valuable guidance of Mr Mangesh Tyagi, Senior Advisor. Special thanks are due to Ms Shristi Kushwah of the CSO, Self Reliant Initiatives for Joint Action – SRIJAN, for her untiring support during the field investigations.

Several individuals and institutions provided useful insights into the phenomenon of rural employment and shared their experiences of various interventions. The Research Team of IGG is grateful to Ms Harshika Singh, IAS, District Collector of Tikamgarh and Mr Akshay Kumar Singh, IAS, District Collector of Niwari and the to Ms Neetu Mathur, IAS, CEO, Zila Panchayat, Tikamgarh and Mr Harshal Pancholi, IAS, CEO, Zila Panchayat, Niwari. Thanks are due to the heads of various departments, KVK, SRLM, SRLM, DIC, KVIB, etc. Special thanks are due to Prof V K Sigh of College of Agriculture, Tikamgarh and Mr Subhash Chandra Dey, District Development Manager, NABARD, Tikamgarh, for their valuable inputs.

The Study greatly benefitted from the inputs provided by the primary stakeholders, namely, the women, youth and farmers, the Self Help Groups, Farmers Groups and FPOs, Agro-Service Centres, other entrepreneur groups and individual entrepreneurs, and the Gram Panchayat members and functionaries (from four villages per district).

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page iii

Abbreviations and Acronyms

APMC Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (Mandi) ASA Action for Social Advancement, a CSO BDA Bundelkhand Development Authority BIWAL Bundelkhand Initiative for Water, Agriculture and Livelihood c. circa CARD Centre for Advanced Research and Development, a CSO CBO Community Based Organisation CEO Chief Executive Officer (often, of ZP) CSO Civil Society Organisation CSR Corporate Social Responsibility DA Development Alternatives, a CSO DC District Collector (DM, District Magistrate, in some countries) DDU-KVY Deen Dayal Upadhyay Kaushal Vikas Yojana DIC District Industries Centre DP&RD Department of Panchayat and Rural Development DRDA District Rural Development Agency FFS Farmers' Field School FGD Focus Group Discussion FPO Farmers’ Producer Organisation GoI Government of India GoMP Government of Madhya Pradesh GP Gram Panchayat (a local governance unit) HUF Hindustan Unilever Foundation IGG Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ITI Industrial Training Institute JFMC Joint Forest Management Committee KVIB Khadi and Village Industries Board (at State level) KVIC Khadi and Village Industries Commission (at National level) LEISA Low External Inputs Sustainable Agriculture LFPR Labour Force Participation Rate MNREGA Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act MSE Micro and Small Enterprise MUDRA Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development NOC No Objection Certificate NRLM National Rural Livelihoods Mission NSS National Sample Survey NTFP Non-Timber Forest Produce PFT Project Facilitation Team PMU Project Management Unit RRB Regional Rural Bank

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page v RSA Resource Support Agency RSETI Rural Self Employment Training Institute SDG Sustainable Development Goals SHG Self Help Group SRIJAN Self Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action, a CSO SRLM State Rural Livelihood Mission SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats TVI Traditional Village Industry viz. namely WPR Worker Population Ratio ZP Zila Panchayat

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page vi

Table of Content

Key Takeaways (Summary of Recommendations) i The Opener iii Abbreviations and Acronyms v A Prefatory Note – District Tikamgarh & Niwari ix

Chapter 1 Natural Resources and Development Potential 1 1.1 Topography and Soils 1 1.2 Climate and Rainfall 1 1.3 Forests and Natural Vegetation 1 1.4 Land Resources 2 1.5 Water Resources 3 1.6 Agriculture and crops 4 1.7 Livestock Resources 6

Chapter 2 Human and Institutional Resources 7 2.1 Worker Population Ratio 7 2.2 Labour Force Participation Rate 7 2.3 Unemployment Rate 7 2.4 Disguised Unemployment 8 2.5 Migration 8 2.6 Quality of Human Resource 9 2.7 Employment in Industrial Sector 10 2.8 Institutional Credit 11

Chapter 3 Community Perspective on Achievements and Expectations 13 3.1 Summary of Successful Initiatives 13 3.2 Analysis of Successful Rural Enterprises 14 3.3 Needs and Aspirations of the Stakeholders 23 3.4 Some Suggestions Not Found Advisable or Feasible 27

Chapter 4 What Does the Future Hold? The Recommendations 29 4.1 Sub-sectors and Activities 29 4.2 Skills and Capacity Building of Youth and Farmers 30 4.3 Capacity Building on Entrepreneurship 30 4.4 Establishing Systems and Sector Reforms 31

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page vii

A Prefatory Note - District Tikamgarh & Niwari

About the Study

The study on potential of rural employment in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh is ultimately meant to benefit the people of the region to tide over their livelihood deficits. It is thus focussing on the key issues of unemployment and its manifestation in rural areas through capturing the phenomenon from the viewpoint of the primary stakeholders, namely, SHGs, FPOs, farmers, youth, women, Gram Panchayat members and functionaries, and entrepreneurs.

Scope and Methodology

The study looked at the phenomenon of unemployment and development in the five districts from the perspective of the current status of employment among rural population, identification of potential sectors and strategies to increase employment opportunities and rural work force participation, and enterprise promotion. The study was carried out with a qualitative approach using combination of primary and secondary data sources to understand the present situation and to identify the potential areas of employment.

Structure of the Report

This district-wise report for district Tikamgarh & Niwari is divided into the following four chapters:  Natural resources endowment and development potential based on the available resources  Human and institutional resources, main occupations of people and present status of employment among rural population in the district  Perspective of community and other stakeholders and their experiences of enhancing employment and income  Recommendations for improving employment opportunities and promotion of the sub- sectors or enterprises identified for the district.

It is hoped that this report will help development agencies, project designers and policy makers in addressing unemployment in the districts and the region.

About the District

District Tikamgarh & Niwari is one of the six districts of Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh (MP) and is located in the northern part of the State on the Bundelkhand Plateau between the River Jamni, a tributary of Betwa, and River Dhasan. It extends between the 24o26’N and 25o34’N latitudes and between 78o26’E and 79o21’E longitudes. The length of the district is about 119 km from North to South and width about 80 km. The district is bounded by district Chhatarpur to the East, district Lalitpur of Uttar Pradesh on the West, district Jhansi of UP on the North and district Sagar on the South.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page ix

Fig 1a : Location Map of District Tikamgarh (after bifurcation)

Fig 1b : Location Map of District Niwari (after bifurcation)

The district is divided into six blocks, viz., Baldevgarh, Jatara, Niwari, Palera, Prithvipur and Tikamgarh, comprising 1003 villages and 459 Gram Panchayats. The district has nine Tehsils including Khargapur, Mohangarh and Orchha in addition to the above six. Recently, two blocks, Niwari and Prithvipur, were carved out into a new district of Niwari. However, in this study, it is considered to be one district as before. As per the census 2011, the total population of the district is 14,45,166 (296,116 households) living in 878 inhabited villages belonging to 459 Gram Panchayats and 13 towns.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page x Chapter 1 : Natural Resources and Development Potential

As the employment potential in a rural area depends on its resource endowment, it was studied comprehensively to assess the potential and limitations. The natural resources and its usage in district Tikamgarh & Niwari was studied with a view to increase the employment opportunities based on these resources. The resource based potential for improving employment in the district was analysed and presented in this chapter.

1.1 Topography and soils

District District Tikamgarh has a rugged landscape featuring an undulating terrain with low rocky outcrops mainly of granites, narrow valleys and plains. Granites are the predominant rocks found across the region, with some sandstone, shale and limestone found in places. Soil types are a mix of black and red, gravelly and shallow in depth. The district has light soils over 44% of area, medium sandy loam soils over 36% area and black clay soils on about 20%. Majority of soils are low in organic carbon, low to medium in nitrogen and phosphorous, and medium to high in potash. Micro- nutrient deficiency is prevalent in almost entire district.

1.2 Forests and natural vegetation

Tikamgarh district has a southern tropical dry deciduous type of forest, which was once densely forested, is presently devoid of any thick vegetation. It occupies about 13.8% of the geographic area of the district. Only small patches of dry thorn forests of dhak, mahua, bel, babul, neem, chironji, ber, palas, tamarind, etc trees and some shrubs are visible. The non timber forest of the district consists of tendu, seja, dhawda, gunja salai, baheda, amla and bamboo.

1.3 Climate and Rainfall

District Tikamgadh falls in the hot and semi-arid climatic zone, and is marked by extremes of temperature, crossing 40 degrees centigrade during summer and dropping to as low as 1 degree centigrade in winter. May to June are the hottest months, the temperature is moderate from October, and then drops to its lowest in December and January, and starts rising again from February. During the summer months, hot breezes, are common.

The rainfall distribution pattern shows distinct dry and wet seasons, with over 90 percent of the rain falling during the monsoon, between June to September, in 50-60 days of precipitation. The average annual rainfall in the district is above 900 mm, except for district Niwari, where it is 756.23 mm.

Table 1.1 : Monthly Rainfall Distribution

District Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Seasonal Tikamgadh 9.25 10.40 5.20 1.38 3.09 86.45 281.85 320.92 162.64 25.16 4.62 3.63 912.85 850.59 Niwari 11.47 12.07 2.39 1.58 4.02 110.45 239.35 244.90 108.65 25.47 6.89 3.34 756.23 688.98

1.4 Land resources

Forest cover in the district is moderately high (69,375 ha or 13.8 % of geographic area). More than half of the land is under agriculture, net sown area being 258,571 ha or 51.3% of the geographic area (Table 1.2). Interestingly, the district has substantial area under irrigation (186,431 ha or 72.1% of net sown area), which is far higher than double the figure for Bundelkhand region (46%) and that for the State (59%). Nearly 82.5% out of it is irrigated by well. The district has 138,871 ha as double cropped area and 123,567 ha as single cropped area, with cropping intensity 155.2%. The cropping intensity is better than some other dryland districts in the region; the state average being 155.1% and national average being 141.6%

Table 1.2 : Land use pattern S No Land Use Area, ha As % 1 Forest Area 69,375 13.76% 2 Barren and Uncultivable 36,123 7.17% 3a Pastures 16,219 3.22% 3b Land under Misc Tree Crops 1,531 0.30% 4 Culturable Waste land 22,500 4.46% 5a Fallow land 32,830 6.51% 5b Current Fallow 26,203 5.20% 6 Net Area sown 258,571 51.30% 6a Rainfed land 72,140 27.90% 6b Total Area Irrigated 186,431 72.10% 6bi Canal Irrigation 16,765 8.99% 6bii Well Irrigation 153,855 82.53% 6biii Tank and lakes irrigation 6,644 3.56% 6biv Waterfall irrigation 649 0.35% 6bv Other sources 8,519 4.57% 7 Area under non-agriculture uses 40,650 8.07% Total 504,002 100.00%

The irrigated area and cropping intensity are very high and present good potential for stable agricultural production.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 2

Land Distribution The total privately owned land is 2,85,722.9 ha owned by 2,02,650 farming families (Table 3). Out of these, 49.9% are marginal farmers and 28.0% are small farmers. Collectively, they own 35% of land, whereas top 6% of farmers own 23.6% of land. The land distribution is less skewed as compared to many other districts in Bundelkhand. Yet, the development interventions should be planned in such a way that the benefits accrue to the poor and the marginalised classes.

Table 1.3 : Land Distribution Pattern Category No of Farmers As % Area, ha As % Marginal farmers 101,175 49.93% 51,436 18.00% Small farmers 56,820 28.04% 78,989 27.65% Semi medium farmers 32,987 16.28% 87,795 30.73% Medium farmers 11,132 5.49% 60,372 21.13% Large farmers 536 0.26% 7,131 2.50% Total 202,650 100.00% 285,723 100.00%

Based on the above findings, it is evident that the employment potential is limited in organised sector. It is also obvious that the employment opportunities are present only in the agriculture and allied sector. Similarly, the need is to make the agriculture and allied activities more remunerative, rather than searching for new employment opportunities in the sector.

1.5 Water Resources

District Tikamgadh has about 800 water bodies spread over an area of about 7000 ha. Nearly one- third of them have water for almost throughout the year. This highlights the potential of aquaculture - fisheries, water chestnut, lotus seed, etc. Recently, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have been working on Bundelkhand Initiative Water, Agriculture and Livelihoods (BIWAL). It is working towards repair and rejuvenation of traditional water bodies and strengthening rural livelihoods in collaboration with the Department of Panchayat and Rural Development and Bundelkhand Development Authority. It is likely to improve water availability, thereby increasing the potential for aquaculture and irrigated agriculture.

Box 1.1 Potential Based on Land and Water Resources  Forest occupies about 13.8% of land. Since it is devoid of productive vegetation, provides limited potential of forest based livelihoods or collection and trade of NTFP.  About 15.1% of area is available for grazing as common land. This presents a scope for CPR based activities for landless (like livestock and cultivation of fodder or other herbs)  Net sown area is 51.3% of the geographic area. Out of which, 72% is irrigated. This provides excellent potential for land based livelihoods - agriculture, horticulture (fruits and vegetables) and livestock.  Abundance of water bodies, with nearly one-third of them having water throughout the

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 3 Box 1.1 Potential Based on Land and Water Resources year, highlights the potential of aquaculture - fisheries, water chestnut, lotus seed, etc.

1.6 Agriculture and crops

 The principal crops grown in the district include wheat, black gram, sesame and Bengal gram (Table 1.4). The district has fruit crops like guava, mango, amla, custard apple, papaya on 333 ha, vegetables like green pea, potato, colocasia, tomato, brinjal, okra, onion on 11,878 ha and spices like ginger, chilli, turmeric and coriander on 2,529 ha.

Table 1.4 : Main crops and their productivity S No Crop Area, ha As % of Average Yield, State Average, India Average, GCA kg/ha kg/ha kg/ha 1 Kharif food crops 1.1 Black gram 90,474 22.76% 467 438 572 1.2 Soybean 37,933 9.54% 821 1,065 1,042 1.3 Sesame 32,296 8.13% 342 489 375+ 1.4 Paddy 9,360 2.35% 443 1,737 2,342 2 Rabi food crops 2.1 Wheat 1,61,624 40.66% 1,569 2,860 3,047 2.2 Mustard 21,878 5.50% 442 1,111 1,205 2.3 Groundnut 19,430 4.89% 1,144 1,641 1,444 2.4 Bengal gram 8,265 2.08% 1,029 1,009 942 3 Vegetables 12,878 22.76% 3.1 Garden pea 8,500 2.14% 9,000 9,900 9000+ 3.2 Potato 1,800 0.45% 20,000 21,950 23,000 3.3 Tomato 1,100 0.28% 20,000 30,340 25,000 3.4 Colocassia 900 0.23% 18,000 18,450 4 Fruits 433 4.1 Guava 180 22.76% 45,000 37,640 15,000 4.2 Mango 90 8.13% 9,000 14,830 7,000 4.3 Custard apple 80 9.54% 7,000 12,680 8,000 4.4 Lime 75 2.35% 16,000 22,020 11,010 5 Spices 2,929 5.1 Ginger 1,800 8.13% 12,000 14,060 7,000 5.2 Green chilli 700 9.54% 6,000 6,190 11,000 5.3 Coriander 300 2.35% 100 1,020 900

It can be observed from the above table that the area under cereals, pulses and oilseeds is about 43.0%, 24.8% and 28.1% of the gross cropped area, respectively. The area under fruit crops is 433 ha (0.17% of net sown area), vegetables crops is 12,878 ha (4.98% of net sown area), and spices is 2,965 ha (1.13% of net sown area). The area under main crops is as per the follows:

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 4  Kharif cereals 10,972 ha (2.8% of gross sown area)  Kharif pulses 1,35,223 ha (34.0% of gross sown area)  Kharif oilseeds 70,379 ha (17.7% of gross sown area)  Rabi cereals 1,61,624 ha (46.7% of gross sown area)  Rabi pulses 8,625 ha (2.1% of gross sown area)  Rabi oilseeds 41,258 ha (10.4% of gross sown area)  Fruits 433 ha (0.17% of net sown area)  Vegetables 12,878 ha (4.98% of net sown area)  Spices 2,965 ha (1.13% of net sown area)

1.6.3 Agricultural Implements Availability or access to improved agricultural implements or equipment is one of the key factors contributing to farm productivity. Present availability was compared with the net sown area to check the adequacy. It was noted that providing simple implements like mould board plough, seed- cum-fertiliser drills and machinery like threshers can significantly improve the farm productivity. There are a few Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) providing suitable agricultural implements to the farmers on hire. The scope of these CHCs could be enlarged to cover a wider variety of implements and also the reach.

Table 5 : Agricultural Implements S No Equipment Number Coverage* Suggested (ha/ unit) ratio (ha/ unit) 1 Iron Plough/ MB Plough 2,319 105.47 20 2 Bullock Cart 12,159 20.12 15 Seed-cum-fertiliser drill 3 6,921 35.34 40 (tractor operated) Seed-cum-fertiliser drill 4 5,694 42.96 20 (bullock operated) 5 Tractors 6,625 36.92 30 7 Power Tillers 3,911 62.54 30 8 Threashers 2,558 95.62 75 (Note : * per ha of Net Sown Area)

1.7 Livestock

Total livestock population in district is 10.07 lakh comprising 2.59 lakh cattle and 2.75 lakh buffaloes. Four years ago, the district had 4.90 lakh cattle, but the farmers disowned nearly half of them after the government totally banned the slaughter. Among small ruminants, sheep account for 0.44 lakh and goat for 2.82 lakh. The district has 1.27 lakh poultry birds under farm rearing method. The district has water bodies spread over a total area of 6,952 ha in 789 tanks where fisheries is

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 5 practised. The proportion of large ruminants in the district is more or less matching with the carrying capacity of land. Yet, there is scope for increasing the buffalo population in certain pockets, especially in Orchha and Prithvipur blocks. The district presents a good scope for promotion of sheep and goats.

Potential for Agriculture and Livestock Production

Comparative advantage : District Tikamgarh enjoys comparative advantage in terms of high productivity of certain crops; yields of Bengal gram, groundnut, black gram and guava are higher than the state and national average, whereas that of peas, colocassia and sesame are closely comparable.  There is a good scope of increasing the area and productivity of the pulses and oilseed crops like Bengal gram, lentil, sesame, mustard, etc. The area presents a potential for green chilli, ginger, peas, mango, etc  There is scope for increasing the buffalo population in certain pockets, especially in Orchha and Prithvipur blocks  The district has great potential for promoting sheep and goat rearing with focus on the smallholders and the landless.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 6 Chapter 2. Human and Institutional Resources

2.1 Worker Population Ratio

The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), defined as the number of persons employed as a proportion of total population, for rural Tikamgarh is 53.7% for male and 40.36% for females. This is lower than the State and national averages for male (71.4% and 75.7%, respectively) but higher than the State and national averages for female (20.1% and 30.2%, respectively). The Worker Population Ratio for the rural district (both men and women put together) is 47.39%, which is comparable with the State average (47.1%), but lower than the national average of 53.9%.

2.2 Labour Force Assessment

Total population of district Tikamgarh in 15-59 age group is 8,42,084, which is 70.45% of total population (Table 2.1). The Labour Force Participation Rate for the district (both rural and urban put together) is 67.27%, which is higher than the State average (61.2%) and national average (55.8%), indicating that more persons are available for employment or work in the district.

Table 2.1 : Workforce Assessment for Rural Tikamgarh Category Male Female Total Total main workers 280,167 118,958 399,125 Total marginal workers 57,871 109,430 167,301 Total Workers 338,038 228,388 566,426 Total Population 629,477 565,816 1,195,293 WPR 53.70 40.36 47.39 Population in age group 15-59 397,199 398,088 755,287 Labour Force Participation Rate 88.94% 63.70% 80.35% Unemployment Rate 4.31% 9.94% 6.66%

2.3 Unemployment Rate

The Unemployment Rate for rural population is 4.31% for men, which is far higher than the state average (2.1%) and the national average (2.9%). The Unemployment Rate for rural women is 9.94%, which is higher than the State average (6.4%) and the national average (4.7%).

The unemployment rate in Tikamgarh rural district is higher compared to the state and national averages. Along with the high Labour Force Participation Rate, the situation calls for focussed interventions on improving livelihood opportunities, especially for women.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 7 2.4 Disguised Unemployment

A rapid assessment of rural disguised employment was carried out using data on agriculture. Total manpower requirement was computed based on the cropping pattern and was compared with the present reported employment.

Table 2.2 : Manpower Requirement in Agriculture S No Crops Per ha labour Area, ha Manpower requirement requirement 1 Single cropped area 80 123,567 9,885,360 2 Double cropped area 160 138,887 22,221,920 3 Area under horticulture 200 425 85,000 4 Area under vegetables 150 11,878 1,781,700 5 Area under spices 120 2,965 355,800 Total persondays required 34,329,780 Total persons required Assuming 180 workdays 190,721

As against this, there are 346,329 persons reportedly engaged as full-time (main workers) and 150,471 persons as part-time (marginal workers) as cultivators and agricultural labourers. Together they are contributing 7.59 crore persondays, indicating that the disguised unemployment in agriculture is to the tune of 121%.

The situation indicates that although a large population is presumably engaged in agriculture, their economic returns, and thus, their net wages, are low. Therefore, the development objective should focus on improving economic returns (in other words, productivity and net income) in addition to the efforts to generate new employment.

2.5 Migration

Like the entire Bundelkhand region, District Tikamgarh & Niwari is also known for both seasonal and long-term migration of families using it as a part of the normal livelihood strategy. While migration of skilled workforce is significant in Tikamgarh, with skilled youth from ITIs and other higher education institutes have an inclination to migrate, those in unskilled category migrate seasonally as agricultural labour within and around the district. Growth of commercial cities in the state has resulted in high demand for roles like security services and facilities management. Tikamgarh is a sourcing hub for people for such roles. While exact estimates of migration are not available, the administration is in the process of preparing databases of migrant workjers who returned due to the Covid-19 induced economic lockdown and fallout. This database would help in scientific planning of the interventions.

 The objective should be to improve economic returns from agriculture for the existing workforce rather than generating more employment.  In view of return of several migrant workers as fallout of Covid-19 lockdown, such

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 8 interventions are required on a scale much larger than before.

2.6 Quality of Human Resources

2.6.1 Education and skills The data on education results indicate that few students pursue studies beyond Higher Secondary Certificate; only 12.1% of the persons completing their education in the last five years have studied beyond higher secondary. It means nearly 88% of persons have negligible scope of employment in organised sector.

Table 2.3 : Youth educated in the last five years S No Qualification Men Women Total As% 1 SSC 144,297 1,50,736 2,95,033 76.56% 2 HSC 26,283 18,158 44,441 11.53% 3 Graduates & above 22,486 19,371 41,857 11.09% 4 Technical 2,322 662 3,984 1.03% Total 1,96,388 1,88,927 3,85,315 100.00%

5 Registered with EE 59,419 21,705 81,124

As% 30.25% 11.19% 21.05%

Seeking Employment Interestingly, only 21.05% of persons completing their education in last five years have registered with Employment Exchange - 30.25% boys and 11.19% girls. This indicates limited interest, which might also be due to limited scope perceived by them.

 Over 88% of educated youth have negligible scope of employment in organised sector.  Educated youth have limited interest in seeking employment in the organised sector, which could be due to limited scope perceived by them.

2.6.2 Educational Institutions The capacity of the educational institutions and the skill development facilities are limited in the district (Table 2.4). Among technical and professional courses, the district has one polytechnic with 260 seats, four ITIs/ITCs with input capacity of 689 seats, and a pharmacy college with 149 seats. The district has on an average 10.93 high schools per one lakh population, which compares well with the State average of 10.77, whereas it has only 7.13 higher secondary schools per lakh population, which is far lower than the State average of 11.63 per lakh.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 9 Table 2.4 : Education facility / Skill Development facilities Level Units Boys Girls Total Secondary Schools 601 81,264 64,209 145,473 High Schools 120 18,873 20,199 39,072 Higher Secondary 72 8,575 6,547 15,122 College 7 4,894 4,475 9,369 ITIs & other Tech 6 898 200 1,098

2.7 Employment in Industrial Sector

The district has 30,578 industrial units employing a total of 50,604 employees. Out of these, 20,064 units are in rural areas, employing 31,346 persons (including, salaried and non-salaried employees). This is less than one percent of the total workforce. The growth of industrial units between 5th and 6th economic survey had been only 6.43%, whereas the growth in industrial employment during the same period had been 1.68%. This indicates very limited potential of organised industrial employment.

In SME sector, only 21,169 persons are employed, each registered unit employing two persons on an average. It ranges from 1.92 persons per unit for service and repairing type units to 12.11 per unit in chemical based industry. It is 2.77 persons per agro-based unit.

Table 2.5 : Status of Industries in SME Sector (2017-18) Number Investment Employment S No Type of Industry of Units (Lakh Rs) (persons) 1 Agro based 106 2.80 294 2 Cotton textile 145 80.20 395 3 Readymade garments and embroidery 384 12.72 803 4 Wood/wooden based furniture 410 14.90 846 5 Engineering units 1,022 380.07 2,010 6 Chemical and chemical based 9 270.12 109 7 Rubber, plastic and petro based 22 153.20 56 8 Mineral based 69 90.09 172 9 Repairing and servicing 2,076 5,595.68 3,996 10 Others 6,407 1,815.43 12,488 Total 10,650 8,415.21 21,169

During the last five years, 2479 persons were employed in the industry (937 in KVI units, 1423 in small units and 119 in medium sized units). It is less than 0.44% of the total workforce in the district. It is 3.06% of persons registered with Employment Exchange and 0.64% of total persons educated during those five years.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 10 The foregoing analysis indicates that  The worker population ratio (WPR) for men is low  The unemployment rate of rural women is very high  High unemployment rate and low workforce participation rate among women call for interventions to increase opportunities for women  Formal industrial sector offers very limited potential of direct wage employment

2.8 Institutional Credit

The loan disbursement data for the financial institutions (all banks) indicate that the credit flows have averaged around Rs 2.0 lakh per unit during the year 2017-18 and above Rs 2.5 lakh per unit during the year 2017-18.

District Tikamgarh has 84 branches of schedule commercial banks and 18 cooperative bank branches, with a density of 6 branches per lakh population, which is less than the State average of 8 branches per one lakh population. The district also has 87 cooperative credit societies, with a density of 28 societies per one lakh cultivators, which is far lower than the State average of 46 societies per one lakh cultivators.

Overall annual disbursement of institutional credit to priority sector in district Tikamgarh had been around Rs 477 crore. The loan disbursement data for all banks for the last three years indicate that the credit flows have remained around 3% to 76% of the targets for different categories of priority sector. On an average the agricultural lending was of the order of Rs 10000 per hectare of cropped area during the last three years, which is quite low compared to other districts in the region. The recovery rate of priority sector loans during the last three years has been between 21%-40%, which is among the lowest in the Bundelkhand region.

Table 2.6 : Loan Disbursement by Financial Institutions (Rs ’000) Bank FY 2015-16 FY 2016-17 FY 2017-18 Average As % Commercial Banks 2,230,572 2,052,291 2,191,341 2,158,068 45.2% RRB 1,218,969 811,311 1,309,200 1,113,160 23.3% Coop Banks 1,284,630 1,173,818 2,047,761 1,502,070 31.5% Total 4,734,171 4,037,420 5,548,302 4,773,298 100.0% Crop Loan 3,583,123 3,099,968 4,121,587 3,601,559 75.5% Agri Term Loan 314,226 234,395 446,104 331,575 6.9% Other Priority Sector 402,214 335,466 470,791 402,824 8.4% Non Agricultural Loan 434,608 367,091 509,820 437,173 9.2% Total PSL 4,734,171 4,037,420 5,548,302 4,773,298 100.0%

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 11 Institutional Potential for Backward and Forward Linkages  The institutional capacity is lacking in most employment generating areas – agro-based industries, credit, human resource development (employment oriented education and skill development, agricultural extension), industrial or professional training, etc.  Employment opportunities are present only in the agriculture and allied sector, which need to be made more productive, efficient and remunerative.  Limited flow of institutional credit also suggests scope for micro finance.

2.9 In summary...

The resource based potential for increasing employment in rural areas of district Tikamgarh can be summarised in the following table.

Table 2.7 : Summary of Resource Based Potential S No Sectors and What can be promoted Reason Segments 1 Fruits and vegetables  Off-season vegetables  High irrigation potential  Fruits like lime, guava,  Suitable climate pomegranate, amla, etc 2 Livestock  Buffalo for farmers with  Familiar technology fodder and water  Ready market  Goats for the ppor  Cattle feed plant 3 Aquaculture  Fisheries  Abundance of water  Water chestnut bodies  Lotus seed  Ready market 4 Backward linkages in  Seed production,  Simple methods to agriculture processing and trade enhance productivity  Implements and machinery hire  Organic manures and growth promoters 5 Forward linkages in  Aggregation and storage  It is the missing link or agriculture and transport bottleneck at present

The above inferences corroborate closely with the needs and aspirations expressed by various stakeholders in the district. The findings from the interaction with various stakeholders are presented in the following chapter.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 12 Chapter 3. Community Perspective on Achievements and Expectations

During the course of the study, several interactions were held with the community and officials to understand their perspective and to gather their suggestions on increasing rural employment in the district. These interactions included Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with farmers, youth, Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), as well as semi-structured interviews with the officials from district administration, concerned departments, public institutions, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and individual entrepreneurs.

3.1 Summary of Successful Initiatives

During these interactions, several noteworthy and successful initiatives by the community and by the line departments came to the fore, which were analysed on their approaches and results with a view to understand their relevance in terms of promoting enterprises, creating employment and enhancing income. A summary was presented at the beginning of this section. Following this summary are presented the perspectives of the primary stakeholders on their needs and expectations along with their suggestions for improving employment opportunities in rural Tikamgarh.

Table 3.1 : Characteristics of Initiatives Studied S No Entrepreneur Nature of Activity Key characteristics A Horticulture 1 Farmers Groups in Jatara Pomegranate cultivation  Cluster approach. (Srijan’s Project)  Technology support. 2 Farmers Groups in Palera Collective farming of  Collective farming. (Srijan’s Project) guava  Technology support. B Agro-processing 1 Sakshi Women Producer Spices making  Processing and marketing Company Ltd, Orchha of local spices and fruits. 2 Individual farmers, Orchha Khova making  Farm level value addition. C Livestock 1 Jatara Women Poultry Poultry (Broiler) rearing  Decentralised production. Producer Company Ltd  Integrated approach. D Inputs and services 1 Sakshi Women Producer Seeds, cattle feed and  Backward linkages. Company Ltd, Orchha manure supply  Vermicompost making. 2 Orchha Farmer Producer Seed and veg saplings,  Compact cluster Company cattle feed trading operations. 3 Dighoda Crop Producers 1. Custom Hiring Centre  Farm implements hire. Company Limited 2. Aggregation and trading  Linkages with FCI. 3. Seed multiplication  Seed processing unit.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 13 E Micro-Industry and TVI 1 Incubation Centre, Jatara Stitching training cum  Incubation support. (Srijan’s Project) production  Production facility. 2 Women entrepreneurs Bamboo basket making  Traditional artisans. 3 Small group activity Towel weaving  Power-loom unit.  Local marketing.

3.2 Analysis of Successful Rural Enterprises

The study analysed two successful interventions of pomegranate and guava cultivation. These were promoted by the CSO Self Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action (SRIJAN) in Jatara block, and serve as harbinger of crop pattern change for the region.

Horticulture

3.2.1 Pomegranate cultivation Starting with two farmers in year 2008, SRIJAN promoted small scale pomegranate orchards for small and marginal farmers. Today, more than 200 farmers from 28 villages in Jatara block are growing pomegranate on 29 ha of land; most of the units are tiny - from 0.05 ha to 0.2 ha. On an average, a plot of 0.12 ha (80 plants) would provide a net income of about Rs 50,000 per year. The activity would breakeven in the third year (Payback period of a little less than three years). The internal rate of return (IRR) for this activity is expected to be 11.0% when calculated over a span of 5 years. Pomegranate Plantation

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 14 Success factors : The enterprise was established as a cluster for convenience of supplies and marketing. Strong scientific approach and continual technical support are the most important factors contributing to success of this initiative. Exposure visits, technical training at NRCP, Solapur and back up support from them in form of 1-2 visits per year to the plots are the key inputs. Over the years, master trainers have been developed from among the early batches of farmers to guide the new farmers. Farmers groups were formed, which hold regular monthly meeting (twice a month during production season) for mutual guidance and local level troubleshooting. This is one of the most functional examples of FFS in recent years in India, without using the terminology. They now plan to form a FPO for aggregation, sorting and grading, to sell high quality fruits to market and others for making juice and rind powder.

3.2.2 Guava as Collective Farming Based on the successful experience of pomegranate cultivation, SRIJAN promoted as group of 11 farmers from village Pahadi in Palera block for guava cultivation in the year 2016. They pooled 1.2 ha (3 acres) of land and developed it with Initial expenditure was Rs 73,580 including fencing The plantation was done in August 2018, which has started producing now, but on a small scale (about 10 kg fruits per tree). Guava Plantation

They expect a net income of about Rs 5.5 lakh per hectare from fifth year onwards. The activity would breakeven in the third year (payback period - a little over 2 years), and the expected IRR over 5 years is 16.4%

Success factors : These are similar to pomegranate cultivation, except that the exposure visits were made to progressive farmers in Raipura village in Block Palera block. Srijan tied up with at CISH, Lucknow for technical training and with NRCP for backup support from NRCP in form of 1-2 visits per year to the plots. Farmers were trained in the production techniques who are now working as village resource persons to guide the new farmers. This is another example of the success of FFS approach, although nobody in the group uses that jargon.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 15 Agro-Processing

Several agro-processing options were suggested during the course of the study. Two of the activities were analysed in detail, namely spices making by a Women’s Producer Company in Orchha and Khova making by individual farmers in Niwari area.

3.2.3 Spices Making Sakshi Women Producer Company Limited was established by a CSO Development Alternatives (DA) in January 2016 in village near Orchha, starting with 450 women members representing 11 village level producer groups. Today it has about 1000 members in 19 producer groups. Besides spices making, the company is running a goshala (permanent cattle camp), making vermicompost and trading in cattle feed. Prepared spices

Profitability : Spices making unit started in 2016 to make powdered turmeric, chilli, and coriander, with seed capital from NABARD for the machinery. The raw material is sourced from the members, while product is sold in local markets. They are presently processing 60 quintal of turmeric, 2 quintal of red chilli and 300 kg of coriander. When they started in 2016, it was 4.0 quintal, 25 kg and 15 kg, respectively. This year, they produced candy from 200 kg of Amla. The margins are low, mainly because they are selling it in local market at a low price. They are planning to scale up the production and reaching out to urban markets in the coming year.

3.2.4 Khova Making Khova making is a traditional activity among buffalo farmers in villages around the towns like Orchha, Jatara, Mau Ranipur, Prithvipur and the city of Jhansi, selling it to the sweet meat shops in these towns. The activity was studied in few villages near Orchha. Every village has about 15-20

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 16 families engaged in this activity. The price they fetch ranges from Rs 80 per kg with high moisture content to 140 per kg of relatively dry version. It increases up to about Rs 160-180 in summer.

The farmers acknowledge it as a business with low margin, but still prefer it because of assured market and less risk compared to selling fresh milk.

Livestock sector

3.2.5 Poultry Enterprise

Jatara Women Poultry Producer Company Limited was promoted by a CSO Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), under DPIP in 2006 as a group activity with 41 members. Currently, there are 435 members running as many poultry units in Jatara Block. It is a part of a larger integrated operation of Madhya Pradesh Women’s Poultry Company Limited (MPWPCL) promoted by PRADAN.

The women members run units of 500 birds or 1000 birds each, obtaining the chicks, feed and other inputs from the Union, which has assured buy back after about 6 weeks. The initial investment is Rs 1 lakh for a unit of 500 birds and Rs 1.70 lakh for a unit of 1000 birds. Average net income is about Rs 4000 per month from a 500 bird unit and Rs 10000 per month from a 1000 bird unit.

Success Factors : It is a well organised enterprise model working like contract farming, with all inputs and technical and marketing support is provided by the company and the farmers focus only on farm level production. Their organisation structure from village to cluster to state level is the main strength, with professional staff managing the affairs.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 17 Inputs and Services

The study analysed three successful interventions, two dealing with inputs supply and the third providing implements hiring services as a Custom Hiring Centre (CHC). These were promoted by CSOs and currently run by the farmers groups after due capacity building.

3.2.6 Seeds, feeds and organic manure Sakshi Producer Company, Village Gundarai, Orchha was promoted by a CSO Development Alternatives in January 2016. It has 19 groups and about 1000 members. It began in 2005 when Sankalpa Swashakti Mahila Mandal was formed for economic development of women. The company is engaged in four main activities, namely, running a goshala (permanent cattle camp), masala making, vermicompost making, and cattlefeed trading.

Trading : In order to meet the needs of its members, the FPO started selling cattle feed to members and other farmers in the area, by taking dealership from Sanchi Milk Union. This year, they tied up with another company IFFCO to sell their brand Kisan Star cattle feed. The trade margin is about Rs 120-130 per bag of 50 kg.

Vermi-Compost Plant

Vermicompost : The company has an elaborate vermicompost farm which engages 8 women on full time basis and produces about 30 MT of vermicipost every year. They have launched a brand “Shakti Organic Compost” which is a registered trade mark. It is sold for Rs 1100 per bag of 50 kg in retail, the FPO sells it to the member groups or traders for Rs 900 each.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 18 The FPO is also promoting vermicompost among farmers in the villages. They provide training and a compact unit of about 4.5 sqm comprising of HDPE tank, culture and basic tools for Rs 5000 to members and other farmers. The idea is to promote organic farming so that their members get better farm level profitability and better prices.

Future plans : They want to restart the supply of seeds of improved varieties, which they had discontinued due to low margin. The company is not in favour of entering into trade of chemical fertilisers, because in contradicts their focus, and that of Development Alternatives, of promoting organic farming.

3.2.7 Trade in Seeds and Samplings

Niwari Farmers Producer Company (Village Kaina, Block Niwari) was promoted by Development Alternatives (DA) in 2016, starting with 40 members representing five villages around Kaina in Niwari block. The purpose was to do collective farming and trading of seeds and organic fertilisers. At present it has 500 shareholders from 20 villages.

Trading : The main activities of the FPC are trading in seeds, cattle feed and vermicompost and running a horticulture nursery for supply of vegetables saplings. They sell seeds of wheat and mustard from National Seeds Corporation (NSC) and vermicompost and cattle feed from Sakshi FPC, Orchha. Their turnover was Rs 10 lakhs in the last year (2018-19).

Poly House for Horticulture Nursery

Saplings : The company set up a polyhouse last year to produce saplings of vegetables like chilli and tomato for selling it to member farmers. However, the entire production of the samplings was transplanted in their own farm. They are cultivating a plot of 6.4 acres on organic cultivation of

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 19 various crops like black gram, lentil and wheat. These were sold in local markets and in krishak melas at slightly higher price than normal grains.

The FPO has plans to grow foundation seeds by getting the same from a seed company and to sell the truthful seeds to farmers in the coming years.

3.2.8 Custom Hiring Services

Dighoda Crop Producers Company Limited was promoted by a CSO - Action for Social Advancement (ASA) under Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana in 2014. It was started with ten women members in 2014 mainly for selling seeds and fertilisers and for commodity trading. At present, it has 300 women members, mostly dealing with seeds of black gram, soybean, mustard, and wheat, and in chemical fertilisers (mainly urea and DAP). They have their own warehouse of 1000 MT capacity, which was mainly used for storing the inputs and commodities.

The company had set up a Custom Hiring Centre in 2016-17 with equipment like tractors, threshers and seed drills. It worked for a year, and then shut down because of poor management practices, mainly the scheduling. The equipment was shifted to Bijawar, where another ASA-promoted CHC is working. The main lesson from this units is that the hiring services should be run efficiently, which should not be compromised for the convenience of a few members.

Micro Industries

Three micro-enterprises in industrial sectors were covered in this study, including one incubation cluster in tailoring, one towel making unit, and bamboo basket making activity; the latter falling under the category of traditional village industry (TVI).

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 20 3.2.9 Incubation Centre in Tailoring

This centre was set up by the CSO SRIJAN in September 2019 in village Lidhora, Block Jatara to train local women in the cluster on tailoring and apparel making. It is run in the village Community Hall, which was taken on lease of two years. Ten semi-automatic sewing machines (electrically operated) were installed and basic tools were provided by SRIJAN, and a master artisan was hired as a trainer. The women are trained for two hours every day for three months at a fee of Rs 100 per month.

Incubation in Tailoring at Village Lidhoura

The women learnt cutting and stitching salwar suit, frock, shirts, etc. So far two batches of 10 girls each have completed the course and are working in their own village. Some are doing well, earning Rs 1500-2000 per month, some are earning up to Rs 4000. SRIJAN is also facilitating the trainees for buying sewing machines with support from their SHG.

3.2.10 Towel Weaving

This unit was promoted under DPIP as a group activity in village Lidhora Tal of Jatara Block in 2008. The project supported construction of workshed of about 100 sqm and five electrically operated looms (mini power looms), out of which three are being operated at present. The capacity of each machine is making about 2 towels per hour, or a total of about 7-10 towels per hour.

The enterprise could not be run as a group activity presumably because of shortage of working capital for buying the raw material (thread) and due to the high inventory cost. The then SHG Chairperson decided to operate it on her own and took over the operations. At present, her son and daughter-in-law are running the business.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 21

Towel Weaving Powerloom

The raw material (thread) is brought from the town of Mau Ranipur, and the towels are sold to a wholesaler in the same town. The cost of production works out to Rs 40 per towel, which fetches Rs 50 each. Regular power supply is the main constraint, and hence the production is limited about 300-500 towels per month. It can be doubled, if the power supply becomes regular.

3.2.11 Bamboo basket making Making fruits and vegetables baskets from bamboo is a traditional activity in village Bajitpura in Jatara block undertaken by Banskar community. The baskets are produced in three sizes and sold mostly in Jatara market. Under Tejaswini Project, 15 women were trained in the village itself for 8 days in 2015, where they learned making articles like bouquet.

The raw material is bought from the farmers in the village at about Rs 80 per bamboo. One family can make about 10-15 baskets per week, which are sold for Rs 40 for small, Rs 60 for medium and Rs 120 for large sized basket.

Lessons from the case studies

 Agriculture continues to be the main employment generator in rural Tikamgarh. Increasing productivity of agriculture and making it remunerative is the key.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 22  Horticulture presents a remunerative option for small farmers with year-round source of irrigation. Pomegranate, guava, mango, gooseberry (Aonla) are promising fruit crops for the district. These can be successfully promoted using a cluster approach. Nursery raising for saplings of fruits and vegetable crops can be taken up as a complementary activity.  Poultry rearing is a successful activity, where a centralised mechanism for input supply, marketing and technical support can contribute significantly. Similar system can be established for goat rearing in Tikamgarh.  Promotion of dairy enterprise focussing on buffalo milk is a potential area. Rearing of cattle is no more remunerative as the salvage value of the animal has got reduced to zero due to the law prohibiting cow culling.  Activities like Khova making may not be highly remunerative, but have low risk and shorter cash flow cycles.  Supply of seeds, manures, fertilisers and pesticides is crucial for agricultural productivity, and at the same time can be a profitable activity for SHGs and FPOs. Production and marketing of organic manures and pesticides can be a profitable enterprise, as it can be marketed locally.  Custom hiring centre is a profitable but seasonal activity. It should not be run as a standalone enterprise, but should be promoted as a part of an existing FPO or SHG having several other activities.  Food processing of non-perishable items like spices can be profitable if systematic marketing is done. Marketing costs are generally high, and can even out if the scale of operation is large, which is possible through collective marketing across a number of producer organisations.  Market information and linking for farm-processed good enhances profitability.  Manufacturing of certain consumer products such as towels, sanitary napkins, tailoring or apparel, incense sticks, bamboo baskets, etc. is possible on a small scale, because of limited local demand.  Ornamental products and handicrafts have a negligible local market, and thus, can be promoted on a tiny scale with tie up with outside marketing agency or network.  Joint farming or collective farming offers advantages in terms of scale economies, and thus, higher profitability. However, it requires serious efforts on organisation development and institutional capacity building of such producer groups.

3.3 Needs and Aspirations of the Stakeholders

Interactions during the field study reflected the perspectives of the community and their institutions on rural employment as well as their needs and aspirations. These were gathered through Focus Group Discussions with farmers, youth, Self Help Groups and Farmer Producer Organisations, and through semi-structured interviews with the officials from concerned line departments, public institutions and individual entrepreneurs. In this section are presented their experiences, needs, perception of scope and expectations expressed by these stakeholders, along with their suggestions for improving employment scenario and opportunities in rural parts of district Tikamgarh & Niwari.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 23 3.3.1 Women’s SHGs

Women’s Self Help Groups were formed under various programmes like PACS (2005-08), Tejaswini (2003-09), SGSY (2005-12), etc. Most became non-functional after those programmes ended, but were restarted by CSOs like SRIJAN and Development Alternatives in the last decade.

Savings and internal lending are the main activities of these groups. The members borrow from the groups mainly for agricultural inputs, health and educational expenses, and consumption needs like marriages. No groups have got any collective enterprise, but few individual members from many groups running micro-enterprises like grocery shops, tent house, transport vehicles, buffalo, etc.

Members from three groups were trained in incense sticks making, some others in vegetable cultivation many years ago by different agencies. But, these were one-off events which were not followed up with any other support in terms of technology, finance, marketing, etc. Members of two groups were associated with local milk cooperative. Their experience shows that transporting milk using a mini vehicle is beneficial in their area.

Expectations The members of these groups are considering starting chips and papad making and revival of milk cooperative collection centres. They suggested dairy activities linked with a large cooperative or a private dairy, with proper planning of routes would benefit the farmers.

3.3.2 Farmers Agriculture is main source of earning for most families, and a very small number of farmers have other occupations to sustain them. All farmers grow Kharif crops, and nearly half of them grow Rabi crops, albeit on a smaller area. Typical cropping pattern in these villages is as per the following table.

Table 3.2 : Cropping Pattern in the Study Villages Village Net sown Rainfed Irrigated Main crops Vijarawan 907.4 400.67 506.73 Sesame, green gram, red gram, wheat, mustard Bacchoda khas 758.61 92.22 666.39 Rice, groundnut, sorghum, red gram, wheat, gram, green peas Lidhora Tal 512.52 140.00 372.52 Sesame, groundnut, soybean, red gram, wheat, gram, mustard Kalra 344.17 41.69 302.48 Red gram, green gram, wheat, gram, mustard

Special efforts Some farmers tried contract farming for Jatropha and Tulsi, but the company they had done contract with did not come back to buy back the produce.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 24 Main challenges Pertinent issues highlighted by the farmers are as per the follows. • Nobody received any compensation under PMFBY in spite of complying procedures in 2015-16. Therefore, farmers stopped saying paying premium. • Stray cattle destroy crops after Govansh Hatya Bandi Act • Nearly 30%-40% villagers migrate to Jhansi, Delhi, etc mainly in construction industry. About 15-20 families have almost permanently relocated themselves to large cities. • Irregular and erratic power supply hampers irrigation scheduling, and thus the yield

Expectations The suggested to invest in red gram in rainy season, and wheat in winter, and sought technical guidance on the same. Soybean is considered to the most risky and Bengal gram the least risky crop. Farmers in remote villages do not prefer to cultivate vegetables because it is labour intensive and they do not have market access due to poor transport infrastructure. Farmers also expected the government support for land levelling, farm pond, fencing from stray cattle, soil testing, technical advice on soybean cultivation, as also deep ploughing.

3.3.3 Aspirations of Youth Youth in the study villages are partly engaged in agriculture and partly looking for employment, mostly in unorganised sector. More than half of the girls are not engaged in any economic activity. The occupational engagement of the boys and girls, according to to their educational level, in these four villages is shown in the following table.

Table 3.3 : Education Level and Present Employment Status Education Working Unemployed Agriculture Self-employed Total Level outside Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls 1,315 570 Illiterate 356 265 803 290 0 0 156 15 32.3% 25.8% 1,690 1,075 Middle school 530 970 919 95 20 10 221 0 42.7% 48.6% Higher 740 485 310 280 310 195 10 110 10 secondary 18.7% 21.4% Graduates and 210 81 85 65 50 10 15 6 60 above 5.3% 3.7% 1,281 1,580 2,082 590 45 16 547 25 3,955 2,211 Total 32.4% 71.5% 52.6% 26.7% 1.1% 0.7% 13.8% 1.1% 100% 100%

Key issues/ constraints : The youth highlighted the following issues during the interaction. • No employment in summer months (only two season agriculture) • Lack of information on schemes. No beneficiaries of any such schemes (DDU-KVY, RSETI, Mudra, SRLM, DIC, etc) could be found in these villages • Did not get any information or guidance on getting employment or loans

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 25

Expectations

The youth specifically sought help and guidance on the following aspects. • Information on schemes • Special coaching - English conversation, marketing, salesmen • Activities like leaf plate making, medicinal plants and horticulture

3.3.4 Gram Panchayat Members

Discussions with the Gram Panchayat members and functionaries were focussed on the situation of employment and livelihoods in the villages and what the Gram Panchayat has been doing to address the issues of rural unemployment and livelihoods of the local community.

Main issues/ constraints

The Gram Panchayat representatives informed that nearly 90% of the population earns their living from agriculture, and nearly 50% of the households have to resort to labour to make the ends meet. The Gram Panchayats have been trying to get various development and welfare schemes, which they announced and explained in Gram Sabha, and to the potential beneficiaries. They highlighted some constraints or limitations as follows. • No work done under NREGA in the last 2-3 years • Kisan Sanman Nidhi application processing was under way • No employment in summer months (only two season agriculture) • Process of obtaining funds from government should be simplified • Incorrect weighing in the APMC by the traders

Expectations

The Panchayat members sought help on the following aspects. • Information on schemes • Loans for entrepreneurs - banks and subsidies under schemes • Tailoring training and production centre for women and adolescent girls • Government support for fencing of farms from stray cattle

Summary

The community as well as officials suggested a number of sub-sectors and activities as potential choice for generating rural employment and making the existing activities more remunerative in the district. Similarly, the farmers and the youth expressed the need for improving the returns from land based livelihoods. These are summarised in the following table (Table 3.4).

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 26

Table 3.4 : Summary of Scope and Expectations of Stakeholders S No Sub-sectors and What the Past experience Comments Activities stakeholders want 1 Soil and water Land levelling, farm All are familiar with Should be taken up conservation bunds, farm ponds, watershed projects with integrated gully plugs watershed approach 2 Water resources Tank rejuvenation Several initiatives Technology support 3 Pulses and Red gram, black High productivity Suitable agro oilseeds gram, Bengal gram, and familiar tech climatic conditions sesame, groundnut 4 High value crops Turmeric, ginger, Carried out on pilot Technology support gauva, mango,tomato scale in parts needed 5 Dairy Milk collection, Some new units are Systematic milk development chilling centre, providing good route operations is Khova making price to producers. the key 6 Custom hiring Agricultural Many custom hiring It can be an centres implements on rent centres operate only auxiliary activity for during crop seasons FPOs or SHGs 7 Artisanal and Bamboo handicrafts, Limited market. Moderately low Traditional brass work, brass Skills available with scope for promotion Village utensils only few families. through SHGs or Industries FPOs. 8 Women’s micro- Fly ash brick making Pilot scale work Scope for SHGs to enterprises done in Orccha run on a small scale. 9 Women’s micro- Medicinal plants, oil Done in past many Scope for SHGs and enterprises mill, masala making, years with limited or FPOs to run on a leaf plate making, sporadic successes small scale. dal mill, mushrooms 9 Repairing Repairing of mobile Services available in Scope exists for services and other electronic towns and cities youth in peri-urban equipment shops (scale limitation) areas

3.4 Some Suggestions Not Found Advisable

Not all suggestions that came from the stakeholders were found feasible. Often, such suggestions were based on their observations or information from other localities. Some prominent examples are presented below. It is suggested to take up such activities in with considerable caution.

 Commercial crops like sugarcane and mentha. Sugarcane should be avoided as it requires large quantity of water throughout the year, which is not available in Tikamgarh. Mentha needs local (on-site) processing facility of oil extraction, and secondly, its marketing is dependent on intermediaries located in faraway places.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 27  Rearing Kadaknath poultry should be avoided because the market so fancifully claimed is simply not available. As such, few criminal cases have been filed in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh against chick suppliers and marketing agents for cheating the farmers.  Micro food processing units at cluster level. Few farmers and scientists suggested potato chips, ber (jujube) juice, phalsa (purple berries) juice and guava juice units. Potato chips unit should be avoided as the wafer-grade potato variety is not grown locally and also for scale economy. Fruit juice units can be viable only on a tiny local scale and as an occasional operation due to non-availability of larger market. Initial and working capital requirement is also high.  Wood working and wooden furniture were suggested, in view of over 400 units functional in the district. It was noted that the raw material is not local, and the number of persons having required skills is limited. Thus, it is possible only on a limited scale.  Some youth suggested to set up and run cattle camps (gaushalas) for employment. As such, it is a confirmed uneconomic activity, launched with political patronage. It can run only with regular financial grant of the government. Hence, it is avoidable.  Rural BPOs for agriculture awareness. However, the concerned officials could not elaborate on the concept beyond the phrase.  Warehouses for vegetables and fruits were requested by many farmers and the GP members. However, fruits and vegetables are highly perishable; only a few types can be stored in cold storage. Further, many cold storages are running in red because of inability to use capacity round the year.  Home stays and tourism were suggested by few GP members and youth. However, it being an urban oriented service which is being studied by IGG separately, and hence, not covered in this study.  Sanitary napkins production and local sale was suggested by some women. It was also promoted by SRLM in the past, but it was a first-year-success story (initial sales contract was due to the District Collector). It is a viable activity on a limited scale, provided marketing support is available.  Granite and sandstone quarry and trade was also suggested. However, it was discouraged due to environmental concerns.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 28 Chapter 4. What does the future hold? The Recommendations

District Tikamgarh and Niwari, like the rest of the Bundelkahnd region, has predominantly agrarian economy, with nearly 89% of rural workforce engaged in agriculture. Given the disguised unemployment to the tune of 121% in agriculture in the district, the strategy should focus on making agriculture and allied sectors besides trying to increase employment opportunities in other sectors, which can happen only on a limited scale.

Based on the findings of the study on increasing potential of rural employment in the district, the following measures could be taken up. These recommendations are divided in four categories.  Promotion of new sub-sectors and activities and to revamp the existing ones  Skill building to improve employability and productivity of rural youth  Capacity building of the entrepreneurs  Establishing systems and other reforms

4.1 Sub-sectors and Activities

4.1.1 Agriculture This is the largest area of interventions, which has the highest potential for remunerative employment in district Tikamgarh.

 Main crops : Wheat (occupying 53.3% of area sown in the season), soybean (19.3% but declining), Seasame (12.2%), mustard (8.27%), black gram (7.23%), and groundnut (6.4%) are the main crops in the district. Out of these, the first two are the least remunerative. It is recommended that pulses (Bengal gram and black gram) and oilseeds (groundnut, sesame) should be promoted on a larger scale, whereas wheat and soybean should be discouraged.

 Horticulture : Fruit crops account for only 0.13% of net sown area, whereas vegetables are grown on 4.85% and spices on 1.03% of net sown area. There is a need to promote fruits and vegetable cultivation in the district, which is possible in view of the irrigation availability.  Fruit crops recommended are lemon, papaya, gooseberry, in addition to guava and pomegranate, and the vegetable crops recommended are ginger, turmeric, taro root, potato, chilli, in addition to the seasonal vegetables (like gourds, brinjal, cucurbits, etc).

 Aquaculture : District Tikamgarh and Niwari has several hundred tanks where fishes are cultivated and/ or harvested by the local fisherfolk. This activity can be strengthened further through technical and financial support. Similarly, water chestnut and lotus seed cultivation should be promoted in most of the tanks.

 Agricultural implements : There is a limited scope for promoting implements like mould board ploughs, seed-cum-fertiliser drills, cultivators and harrows, especially in the norther part of the district to improve the productivity in agriculture.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 29 4.1.2 Livestock Buffalo rearing is a common practice, which may be encouraged along with fodder cultivation. Goat and backyard poultry should be promoted among the poor households. In both the cases, provision of healthcare services would greatly improve the profitability. Such services may be provided through farmers producer organisations. Cattle feed manufacturing plant is recommended as a backward linkage, which could be taken up by a cluster level FPO.

4.1.3 NTFP Trade Collection of non-timber forest produce like neem seeds, tendu leaves, mahua, chironji support several households in villages around forest areas in the district. These households could be organised into SHGs or JFMCs and provided with working capital support so that they can help the member by preventing distress sell.

4.1.4 Traditional industries It is suggested to strengthen the existing traditional village industries like bamboo crafts and brass ware by providing working capital and by providing systematic marketing channels for their produce. These being artisanal products, market linkages with handicrafts commissioner and marketing fairs would help the artisan families to sell more as well as get better prices.

4.1.5 Other industries The district has a limited market for product like woven fabric, apparels (tailoring), incense sticks, etc. These are being carried out as individual and group activities on a limited scale. No additional efforts are suggested in this sub-sector at present. Recommendation on cattle feed unit has already been mentioned under the paragraph on livestock.

4.2 Skills and Capacity Building of Youth and Farmers

Rural Tikamgarh has a large workforce in agriculture and allied sectors, who can become more productive and efficient with knowledge and skills on appropriate technology in farming. The objective of this capacity building is more for increasing productivity than employability, since most of the people engaged in agriculture are self-employed (farmers). For this, extension services in agriculture and livestock need to be seriously strengthened and outreach increased to the farm level. While the government departments and KVKs gear up for this challenge, it is recommended to engage CSOs to provide training, field level technical support on a massive scale.

It is recommended to develop cadres of barefoot professionals for agriculture and for livestock healthcare in all blocks. It is possible to promote new FPOs and strengthen the existing ones for this extension and promotion of scientific agriculture.

4.3 Capacity Building on Entrepreneurship

There is a need to build capacities of both individual and group entrepreneurs in terms of enterprise- specific knowledge and skills, including mobilising technical and financial support available in the district and outside. Managerial skills and marketing skills should be build in entrepreneur groups

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 30 (SHGs, FPOs, etc). Attempts to teach every entrepreneur to become an accountant, a manager, salesperson, trader and marketer should be avoided. It must be understood that these skills are diverse, and therefore, should be built in different members of groups. It must be assessed that on which scale such skills are required, and accordingly the number of persons to be equipped with such skills should be determined. Therefore, a cluster approach is recommended in all such cases.

4.4 Establishing Systems and Sector Reforms

4.4.1 Agriculture extension This was found to be the weakest link in development of agriculture and allied sectors in the region. It is evident from the very limited knowledge among farmers about appropriate agricultural and livestock. It was learnt that the department functionaries visited the villages only to fill up scheme forms, and never visited the farmers’ fields to advise them during the crop season. The government should take urgent steps to correct this malady. While this issue is address, it is recommended to engage CSOs to provide training, on-site technical support on a massive scale.

4.4.2 Outreach of schemes Similarly, the youth and farmers have limited information of development schemes of the government. It was claimed that the Gram Panchayats announce the scheme details and select the beneficiaries in Gram Sabha, but this practice has proved to be ineffective in communicating the message. It is recommended to reach out to the potential beneficiaries of relevant rural development schemes on regularly. It should be made performance monitoring parameter for the GP Secretary. SRLM should be entrusted with this responsibility in the villages covered under SRLM.

4.4.3 Market information and linkage This is lacking in case of fruits, vegetables, farm-processed goods, and many products in rural areas. While there is a huge amount of raw information available on the internet or announced on radio broadcasts, there is a need to process it and present it in a comprehensible and meaningful manner to the farmers and entrepreneurs in the villages. It is possible to develop such a mechanism on cluster basis. Market information should be processed and presented in a comprehensible and meaningful manner to the farmers and entrepreneurs in the villages. It should be done on a cluster basis.

4.4.4 Institutional credit It was observed in district Tikamgarh that the banks are hesitant in extending credit to the individuals and SHGs, barring the exception of crop loans and groups sponsored by SRLM. Poor recovery rate of 21%-40% in recent past is also a factor responsible for this. Other micro-finance initiatives are servicing a small proportion of this segment. There is a need to expand the borrower through both micro finance and mainstream credit institutions.

4.4.5 Cluster approach Cluster approach is recommended in case of specific enterprises in agriculture and livestock sector, especially all the activities summarised below (Table 4.1). It should be implemented with a long term perspective, with clearly defined outcomes for each of the next five years. Technology, marketing and institutional credit support should be made available through a single window

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 31 approach. Most of the aforementioned services, information and advice can be easily made available using a cluster approach.

4.5 Summary of Recommendations

The main recommendations of the report on Tikamgarh district are summarised below. The recommendations on sub-sector activities are presented in the tabular form (Table 4.1), whereas the other key recommendations are presented in the paragraphs following the table.

Table 4.1 : Recommendations on Sub-sector Activities Sub-sectors Allied Activities Support Services

Main crops: Focus on pulses  Soil water conservation on  Promoting farmers groups (gram and black gram) and watershed basis  Technology support in terms of oilseeds (groundnut, sesame),  Supply of seeds, manures, on-site guidance and extension while discouraging wheat and fertilisers and pesticides.  Collective marketing through soybean  Custom hiring centre of critical FPOs or SHGs farm implements

Fruits and vegetable: Guava,  Rearing saplings of fruits and  Technical support pomegranate, mango, lemon, vegetable crops (nursery).  Farmers’ groups for inputs papaya, gooseberry, ginger,  Processing of spices along with supply and marketing turmeric, taro root, potato, chilli systematic marketing

Aquaculture : Fishery, water  Soil water conservation and  Training and capacity building chestnut and lotus seed tank revival  Financial support

Livestock : Goat and backyard  Setting up feed plant and  Training and capacity building, poultry for the poor, buffalo livestock healthcare services especially on marketing rearing for those with fodder  Cadre of barefoot technologists

NTFP collection and trade :  Working capital to SHGs or  Aggregation and marketing Neem seed, Chironji, Mahua JFMCs through JFMCs or SHGs  License by Forest Department  Market linkage

TVIs : Main Traditional Village  Training and capacity building, Industries include bamboo crafts especially on marketing and brass ware  Market linking through fairs

It is recommended to adopt a cluster approach for most of the aforementioned outreach, services, information and advice.

IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Tikamgarh & Niwari Page 32