Helping farmers back on their field

By: Gurudatta*a Shirodkar, livelihoood delegate, IFRC, Yangon.

Cyclone Nargis had immense and long las2ng impact on livelihoods of the communi2es. The areas affected are rural, with agriculture as one of the primary sources of income. The agriculture sector encompassing crops, planta2ons, livestock and fisheries faced huge amounts of damage.

Large areas of land were affected by salinity, resul2ng in a decrease of land produc2vity. Farmers lost their baskets of rice and seed stocks, due to which they were unable to cul2vate paddy in the subsequent season. This again resulted in a shortfall of paddy seeds for next paddy cropping season. Agriculture tools and equipments were also lost by the farmers.

The Myanmar Red Cross Society with the support of the IFRC ‐ is implemen2ng a
livelihoods recovery program, focusing on different sectors of livelihoods. During the
monsoon paddy cropping season from June to August 2009, MRCS supported small farmers with fer2lizers and cash to restore the agriculture‐based livelihoods pattern of the disaster affected community.

Many crops People cul2vate different varie2es of rice paddy as the major crop. Other crops include pulses, sesame, jute, groundnut and planta2on crops, such as mango, coconut, banana, and betel nut. Other livelihoods centre around fishery, livestock and small businesses. The Monsoon paddy cropping starts in June, and con2nues 2ll
Nargis Recovery Helping farmers back on their field end of December, when the crops are harvested.

Considering the need to support farming community, MRCS/IFRC designed a package to farmers with a combina2on of in-kind and cash grants.

In debt

A total of 3970 farmers were supported covering 241 villages in six townships. The program targeted small farmers with land holdings less than five acres, who had reduced income from the recent post‐Nargis harvests. The lack of cash was another problem for many farmers as they could not hire labourers or buffalos to help cul2vate the land, or needed to take loans to do so.

Next steps

• After provision of in‐kind and cash support to farmers, MRCS also provided technical guidance to farmers on the proper use of fer2lizers in collabora2on with the Agriculture Department at township levels.

• The monitoring process to understand the impact of the interven2ons is started after 4‐6weeks from the date of provision of support, and was completed in September 2009.

• The monitoring process focuses on the usage of fer2lizers and cash among beneficiaries, and analyzes training and follow up support requirements among the community.

• MRCS/IFRC is planning to develop IEC materials on pest control techniques and
agriculture development prac2ces to upgrade knowledge among farmers.

• The livelihood programme is now being followed up by trainings of farmers which are expected provide guidance and skills among the farming community.

it is es2mated that the rice produc2on today, almost two years after the disaster, is around 60 percent of what it was before Nargis.