Small farmers are the focus of ‘mission pulses’, an example of collective agriculture that has lifted nearly 30,000 households in Uttarakhand
Munsyari, a small region in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, is known as the home of the Munsyari rajma (kidney bean). So popular is this variety of bean that it has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag — a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin — much like Darjeeling tea or Guntur chillies. And these beans are transforming the lives of thousands of cultivators with small plots of land.
Munsyari rajma is the reason Dhani Devi, a 55-year-old farmer from Nirtoli village in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, has been able to double her income over the last five years. Lending her a hand has been ‘mission pulses’, an initiative run by Himmotthan Pariyojana, an associate organisation of the Tata Trusts.
Himmotthan works with underserved communities in Uttarakhand and ‘mission pulses’ is a standout example of how it does this. The mission has set up a farm-to-market chain that reaches nearly 30,000 households in 500 villages. These are mostly small farmers earning a meagre livelihood, with an average farm size of less than an acre.
The Himmotthan team has spent five years getting its equation right with ‘mission pulses’, educating and training farmers about better varieties of pulses and best practices in cultivation and harvesting, while also providing market linkages for their produce.
Pulses were chosen as the key crop because they grow well in hilly, rain-fed regions. Apart from Pithoragarh, the project area covers villages in the Uttarkashi, Bageshwar, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Almora, Dehradun, Nainital and Chamoli districts. “The unique climate and terrain of these regions make them ideal for pulses farming,” says Rajendra Koshyari, an area project manager with Himmotthan.
To identify the farmers most in need of support, Himmotthan conducted a survey in 2018. This provided a baseline understanding of geographical and socioeconomic conditions. The exercise helped identify 12 clusters of villages with a high concentration of families living below the poverty line.
Himmotthan then engaged with local communities to understand existing practices and what the farmers needed. Local offices were set up, with field staff interacting directly with farmers.Pulses were already on the menu: locals typically grew rajma, black and white soya bean, rice bean and the like alongside wheat, rice and potato.
‘Mission pulses’ has focused on encouraging farmers to change age-old practices and move to newer methods. These include adopting high-yield and disease-resistant varieties, changing cropping patterns and improving pest management.
In the initial phase, some 6,000 farmers were encouraged to make rajma their star crop. Convincing the farmers to change was a challenge. The Himmotthan team consulted local community leaders and farmer groups to determine which interventions would be most helpful in a given location.
Thereafter, it employed a systematic and layered strategy that comprised substantial capacity building through the setting up of self-help groups (SHGs), cooperatives and community resource centres. There are now a dozen women farmer cooperatives in the programme and about 550 village-based farmers groups.
Multiple training programmes, regular monitoring, follow-up sessions and feedback mechanisms have enabled the building of trust with the community, while ensuring that the inputs delivered are relevant to the needs of the farmers. Setting up a network of community institutions has bolstered the sustainability component of the initiative.
All of these measures have been a boon for the farmers. Average annual income from agriculture has more than doubled from the 2018 baseline (from 12,000 to
38,159). The income increase has been higher in households cultivating rajma crops, which have registered a 79% increase in yield and a six-fold rise in profitability.
Ms Dhani is one of those farmers. She now grows rajma, amaranthus, potato and vegetables on her 2-acre spread and the shift happened after she joined the mission. “I have learned about modern agricultural techniques, about farmer producer groups, financial management and market access,” she says.
Ms Dhani was trained in better production practices such as bio-composting to improve soil fertility, in sourcing superior onion seeds, and in using vertical nets for rajma cultivation to optimise space and yield. Himmotthan helped with the installation of a water tank for irrigation. Beekeeping is another skill that Ms Dhani has picked up.
Having joined the programme in 2018, Ms Dhani’s annual earnings have doubled from 75,000 to
150,000. “We have been able to educate our children in better schools,” she says. “Two of our children have graduated and our daughter is married. Also, we have opened a small store in our village.”
A critical component of ‘mission pulses’ has to do with market linkages. In 2016, Himmotthan set up the Trishulii Producer Company as an apex body to market agricultural products cultivated by small and marginal farmers from across Uttarakhand. With more than 4,000 members, Trishulii is involved in value-addition processes that increase farmer incomes.
The organisation, which forms the last link in the farm-to-market chain set up by Himmotthan, coordinates closely with farmer groups, aggregates produce and ensures quality standards, turning small-scale agriculture into a profitable venture.
Trishulii has an annual turnover in excess of 20 million and has evolved into a recognised brand, with its products being sold to local retailers, institutional buyers and e-commerce sites (in August 2024, Trishulii launched its Munsyari rajma on Amazon).
The going, and the growing, has been good for ‘mission pulses’, and the future holds the promise of further gains for small farmers at the heart of the effort.
While pulses and vegetables are a big part of ‘mission pulses’, the programme has also worked to train agriculture entrepreneurs willing to go the extra mile. One such budding spark is 29-year-old Priyanka Negi, who lives in Uttricha village in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district.
Ms Negi used to look after her home and help out with the paddy and wheat crops her family cultivated. Losses were frequent due to the damage caused by animals, pests and crop diseases. The farm income was inadequate for her household of six and Ms Negi had to supplement the family earnings by doing manual labour.
Joining the mission in 2021 changed Ms Negi and her world. Armed with know-how and support, she branched out to set up a nursery, growing chamomile, rosemary, radish, garlic, onion, chili, potato and millet. And the best of this lot? “Chamomile is the most profitable crop,” she says.
Ms Negi has been trained in plenty of agricultural aspects, including cultivation, harvesting, processing and the marketing of produce. “Himmotthan has enabled me to participate in training programmes and nursery management techniques,” she adds. “I learned how to market my produce locally and connect with buyers interested in herbal and organic products.
Ms Negi now earns up to 100,000 annually by selling chamomile flowers and seeds, rosemary leaves and seedlings, and high-value seasonal vegetables. “The nursery has brought financial stability into my life,” she says.