Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(11): 4001-4011 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 11 (2017) pp. 4001-4011 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.611.469 Empowerment of Disaster Affected Farmers – A Comprehensive Study on Developing Feasible Strategies for Empowering Thane Affected Cashew Growers in Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu, India M. Balarubini1*, C. Karthikeyan2 and T.N. Sujeetha1 1Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, TNAU, Tamil Nadu, India 2Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Agriculture and Horticulture are the dominant components in the economy of K e yw or ds Thane affected States and the Union Territory. Hence, the need of the hour is to formulate strategies for sustaining agricultural production in the affected area. To Empowerment, Thane, be more specific, it is seen that cashew is the most important crop of India and Farmer profitability, community about 32162.72 ha of cashew area has been damaged due to the occurrence of engagement and Thane in Tamil Nadu (Directorate of Horticulture, Government of Tamil Nadu, capacity building. 2012).Hence, the study was conducted in Panruti block of Cuddalore district with Article Info sample size of 194 Thane affected cashew growers. Study the feasible strategies Accepted: for empowering Thane affected cashew growers. The respondents were 28 September 2017 interviewed personally by a well -structured interview schedule. The extension Available Online: strategies included in this study will serve as a blue print for empowering Thane 10 November 2017 affected cashew farmers for effectively mitigating the impact of the disaster. Introduction Strategies for empowering Thane affected livelihood insecurity. Most of the above cashew growers mentioned factors are prevalent in any developing society, whereas there anomalies Empowerment refers to increasing the and disasters that create livelihood insecurity economic, political, social, educational or and poverty. Thane storm is one such natural spiritual strength of an entity or entities.The disaster that has unimaginably affected and word empowerment may literally sound big in flipped the lives and livelihoods of thousands terms of its meaning associated with larger of people who are dependent on agriculture, objectives but, it is the micro level impact that fisheries etc., in the Cuddalore District of the process of empowerment creates to a Tamil Nadu. society of target is of greater significance. Empowerment in general is linked to deprived Strategy is a Greek word Stratēgia meaning segment of people with respect to poverty, “art of troop leader; office of general, social inequalities, economic instability and command, general ship". Strategy is important 4001 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(11): 4001-4011 because the resources available to achieve (ii) variation in damages and intensity in these goals are usually limited. Strategy different places/soils call for differing generally involves setting goals, determining rehabilitation techniques, (iii) technical actions to achieve the goals, and mobilizing expertise to be converged, (iv) farmers resources to execute the actions. The special working on the land to be taken for package implemented under cyclone Thane rehabilitation rather than ownership of rehabilitation programme in Tamil Nadu land(Tamil Nadu Tsunami Resource Centre (Krishnamoorthy, 2014). The „Providing (TNTRC), 2006). The Agriculture assistance for the II year maintenance of rehabilitation should focus on: (i) simple perennial crops in Cyclone Thane affected farming systems process to sustain areas‟, „encouraging pandal cultivation of productivity of soil and crop, (ii) integration vegetables‟, „establishment of district of Horticulture, Forestry and Animal horticulture extension cum training center‟, Husbandry in the consecutive year and (iii) „modernization of state horticulture farms‟ capacity building and interventions on (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation disaster preparedness (Chandramohan, 2006). Crops, 2012).The government should take the steps to erect the walls for preventing from This part of the study aims at drawing the flood prone area and sea level rise. The relevant strategies and implementable action deltaic regions are highly experienced the plans to empower the Thane affected cashew agricultural loss, hence the government growers. It was intentionally decided not to should announce to removal of agricultural provide any strategies or action plans that loans (Punithavathi et al., 2012). The enhances only the adoption of technologies Immediate strategies proposed for adoption of recommended by the Government Thane affected people are as follows: (i) Departments. Instead a comprehensive involve women led disaster task force as strategy that envisages overall empowerment volunteers to oversee relief and rehabilitation. of affected growers is being proposed. Afforestation involving women‟s groups in Understanding the practical importance of this planting and maintenance, (i) organize health study, the strategies envisaged is two camps to address problems by women, dimensional i.e. strategies for Short Term and children and aged, (ii) distribute relief Long Term empowerment goals (Fig.1). according to needs assessment by women‟s groups, (iii) address drinking water issues. Materials and Methods The one year mitigation strategies proposed for adoption of Thane affected people are as Considering the criteria viz., maximum area follows: (i) form/strengthen disaster task force under cashew cultivation as well as maximum in all coastal villages to reduce the risk, (ii) number of farmers affected by Thane storm, Provide livelihood support for the affected Panruti block of Cuddalore district was community. The couple of year‟s mitigation selected for the study. Considering the same strategies proposed for adoption of Thane criteria, the Block Development Office was affected people are as follows: (i) build also consulted to select the top three villages‟ permanent houses for all vulnerable viz., Vegakollai, Kadampuliyar and Marangur communities (Women Federation, which had maximum area under cashew 2012).Tsunami rehabilitation in Agriculture cultivation as well as maximum number of are: (i) participatory needs assessment for farmers affected by Thane storm. Employing rehabilitation is required and the parameters proportionate sampling method, 194 Thane of assessment of damage need to scientific, affected cashew growers were selected 4002 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(11): 4001-4011 randomly from the three selected villages. enhancement, (b) Production cost The primary data was collected during optimization and (c) Ancillary income November, 2014.Based on the survey generation sources. Any control or experience of the researcher and the modifications on the price level to enhance interaction with stakeholders of Thane relief farmer profitability will not provide a management officials, suitable strategies were practically feasible solution as it is driven by formulated for empowering Thane affected market conditions or demand and supply. cashew growers. Detailed action plans to enhance farmer profitability through the above mentioned Short term empowerment strategies levers is discussed in detail. Immediate measures to mitigate the impact Productivity enhancement and adverse aftermath of Thane storm over the cashew growers in Panruti taluk of Farm productivity is directly linked to the Cuddalore District can be categorised under inherent potential of the soil, other production the Short Term Empowerment Strategies and related natural resources and most importantly the elements are mentioned & explained: adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) as suggested by various agencies Farmer profitability working on the implementation of GAPs with the farming community. Through the Profitability in business terms is the ability of discussions in the previous chapters, it was a business to earn a profit. A profit is what is understood that the productivity level of left of the revenue a business generates after it cashew in the Thane affected Farms has pays all expenses directly related to the reduced drastically due to deterioration of generation of the revenue, such as producing soil, water and most importantly physical a product, and other expenses related to the damage to the well grown yielding cashew conduct of the business' activities. trees. In the same background, State Department of Agriculture and Horticulture The same definition holds good for a farmer have proposed various production technology because farming is as good as an enterprise or related recommendations as immediate business that involves even higher degree of measures to enhance farm productivity like risk than any other investment friendly adoption of VRI-3 seedlings, treatment of the businesses. Continuity of any income seedlings with bio-fertilizers, appropriate generating activity primarily depends on the spacing and regular pruning. More than any consistency of the activity in delivering other production practices, adoption of high profits. Hence for a farmer to continue yielding varieties like VRI-3 can have farming as an income generating enterprise, significant impact on crop productivity. There profitability is a crucial factor. The major is a quantifiable proportion (38.66%)