Highlights of recent PRDIS activities

1. A Rare Honor to PRDIS

15th August 2006 was a red-letter day for PRDIS when its President and Executive Director, Prof. S.Venku Reddy received a memento from His Excellency, the President of India at an 'interactive session' organized exclusively by the Government of India for a few selected NGOs in the country with the latter on the eve of Independence Day celebrations.

Prof.Venku Reddy, representing PRDIS which is one among the four NGOS invited from Andhra Pradesh, briefly explained to the President of India about the various rural development activities undertaken alongside the sustainable agricultural interventions carried out in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh through Farmer Field Schools (FFS). In an interesting probe of the farmers suicides in Andhra Pradesh by the President of India. Prof. Reddy apprised him about a study undertaken by PRDIS in this regard and impressed on him with reasons for such suicides and remedial measures suggested there on.

2. PRDIS shows The Way for Agricultural Development in Chhattisgarh

PRDIS, on the request of Chhattisgarh Tribal Development Agency (supported by IFAD), organized Farmers Field Schools (FFS) on Integrated Crop Management (ICM) of paddy in Udaipur , Surguja and Raigarh districts during 2004-05 and 2005-06. This effort resulted in increase of paddy (rice) yields by two to three folds. About 300 participating tribal farmers were benefited directly by acquiring knowledge and skills besides improving their social capital. The farmers were also involved in participatory technology development process and able to select promising varieties suitable to their areas. In addition, this process enabled the farmers to be aware of health, environment and other topics useful to their daily life. Encouraged by this experience, PRDIS has further strengthened its activities in Chattishgarh during 2007-2008.

3. PRDIS Collaborates with a business firms for providing high quality extension services to the farming community- Swarna Seeds (P) ltd, Participatory Development Consultants (PDC).

A group of agri-business entrepreneurs have started a company for setting up chain of retail centers (called as VISWAS centers) to provide high quality agricultural inputs at affordable costs to farmers and also to render diagnostic and farm advisory (extension) services in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh. It provides training to the staff and also guides the agricultural extension delivery services. On the other hand, the company provides opportunity to the trained Agripreneur to be the partners in promoting business and agricultural extension services. It is indeed an NGO-Private-Public partnership initiative to serve farmers in a better way. PRDIS has also established linkages with Swarna Seeds (P) Ltd to provide pure seeds to the farmers. PRDIS has also established linkages with Participatory Development Consultants (PDC) to procure timely services from the qualified personnel.

4. Workshop on "Value Addition of Fruits and Vegetables"

With the main objective to sensitize the voluntary organizations (VOs) on the pros and cons of value addition technology for fruits and vegetables and to formulate recommendations as a way forward, a two-day workshop VOs in the state participated in the workshop.

5. Training Programme on Value Addition of Fruits and Vegetables

As a follow up to the two-day workshop (mentioned above), a ten-day training programme on value addition of fruits and vegetables was organized by PRDIS at its Training Centre, Kismatpur, Rajendranagar during 19-28 September, 2005 with the support of CAPART.
Thirty-four participants drawn from 17 selected voluntary organizations participated in the training programme in which half of the participants were women. The participants were trained in theoretical as well as practical aspects of post harvest handling, storage and processing of fruits and vegetables.

6.Collaboration with Industries - JN Agri tech International (P) ltd, Rushini Bio Fuels (P) Ltd, Syngen Bio fuels (P) ltd :

PRDIS has established contacts with JN Agri tech International (P) ltd, Rushini Bio Fuels (P) Ltd, Syngen Bio fuels (P) ltd to promote diversified cropping in the project areas of PRDIS.

7. President of PRDIS Nominated as Member of Working Group of PCI; Expert Member, CAPART Regional Committee, Hyderabad; Member of Taskforce for Reconstituting NPPTI; and Member, Working Group on Agriculture, Knowledge Commission, GOI.

Prof. S.Venku Reddy, President, PRDIS, has been nominated by the Planning Commission of India (PCI) as Member of a working group on 'Outreach of Institutional Credit and Cooperative Reforms', for XI Five Year Plan (2007-2012).

8. Smt V. Usha Rani, I.A.S, District collector, Mahaboobnagar visited to PRDIS

Smt V. Usha Rani, I.A.S, District collector, Mahabubnagar delivered the valedictory address as chief guest on the concluding session of Rural Young Professional training programme. In her valedictory address Mrs. V. Usha Rani, I.A.S appreciated the CAPART for sponsoring the programmes of this kind and also implementing agency, PRDIS. She explained about the importance of skill training and its relation ship with employment. .She added that, "If you are equipped with skill will be occupied in better position, all the beneficiaries of SGSY skill training got employment". A person will be always successful if he wishes for it. She motivated all the beneficiaries to use all the skills learned for their personal and village development. Later, she issued certificates to the trained Rural Young Professionals.

9.Mandal Level Awareness Programme

An awareness programme for all the FFS farmers and other stakeholders was organized at Karivana village of Bhoothpur Mandal Mr. Ajaye Kallam, I.A.S. Principal Secretary to Government (Agriculture) and Vice Chancellor ANGRAU was the chief guest Mrs. Usha Rani, I.A.S., District Collector, Mahaboobnagar was the guest of honour. Prior to the meeting the Chief Guest visited the FFS fields at Yelkicherla and Karivana villages and had interactions with the farmers. He was very much impressed with the activities undertaken under Private Public Participation. He reiterated that such partnerships should be promoted and strengthening for development of agriculture in Andhra Pradesh. During this occasion a technical session involving scientists of ANGRAU was organized benefiting the farmers with knowledge.

10. Stakeholder consultative workshop

Having had the active participation in the deliberations of the 'Working Group', meetings at the Planning Commission, New Delhi, Prof. Venku Reddy was also instrumental to organize a stakeholder consultative workshop on Extension and infrastructure with other banking partners at Mahaboobnagar on 11th September 2006.

Mrs. Usha Rani, IAS, District Collector, Mahaboobnagar, was the Chief Guest and inaugurated the workshop, while Dr. K.P. Jha, another Member of the working group, Planning Commission, along with Dr. Reddy moderated the deliberations.

Besides, representatives from NABARD, Bank of India, Lead Banks, District Central Cooperative Bank, Grameena Banks and delegates from Line departments selected NGOs as well as Farmers Associations in Mahaboobnagar district participated in the workshop.