Entrants's Name: Pranjal Baruah

Country: India

Field: Economic Development

Innovation - idea: With 70% based on agriculture income the per capita income of Assam is Rs 6,221. Paddy cultivation is done in 26 lakh hectare with profit per hectare below Rs 500. Paddy straw is the only available resource which could enhance the income of these farmers.

Basic raw material for Mushroom production is paddy straw. To upscale the paddy farmer’s economic condition is to produce mushroom and develop a transparent system of outreach, finance and marketing.

Innovation - why it is pioneering: MDF is working to build the capacity of the BPL people to participate in the market economy. It is a total innovative approach with involvement of large numbers of mushroom farmers who believe that growing mushroom and creating a federation backed by a micro-credit system will give them economic freedom.

Strategy - how it achieves impact: Awareness: The first step is to create awareness among the people about the cultivation techniques of mushroom through sensitization and training. Once mushroom is adopted for cultivation awareness on its uses and popularizing the food value and taste development exercise is done to promote local consumption. Local market development strategies are done at LP schools, markets, fares etc.

Federation: Creating Linkages so that technical guidance along with planting materials can be made at minimum of cost and readily. Local market development programs and buy back arrangement at predetermined price from their areas. This we do it through Collection and Distribution centers in different localities. This system is a Three Tire Federation Model. For escalating the activity we are trying to develop a micro –credit system.

Strategy - growth plans: We have done awareness and training among thousands from 1994 in a vast stretch of areas linking it with planting material and marketing support. Now from September 2005 we are concentrating on one area to develop a model with participation of 1000 Families growing mushroom supported by one Collection and Distribution Center. A cluster of 10 family will operate together as one unit to cut down cost of production and will be covered with Micro-Credit facilities and marketing linkage. One Collection and distribution center will crater to the needs of 100 cluster units providing Planting materials, Technical Guidance, Credit Linkage, Social Securities and Market linkage. Once this model is established it can be replicated in all the areas of our popularizing done so far.

Impact to date: We have so far sensitize and trained more than 50,000 people directly since 1994 without being funded so far. More than 25,000 people have grown mushrooms and some 5000 still grows it and about 3000 people grows it for additional income. With development and proper implementation of our Collection and Distribution Center with the micro-finance system all this 50,000 and more people will start growing mushroom for income generation. Yes today almost every development agencies involved into to income generating activity are putting effort for popularizing mushroom and we are rendering our best of support. During 1994-95 total production of mushroom in Assam was approx. 5000 Kg benefiting not more than 100 people and during 2003-2004 was more than 3,50,000 Kg benefiting more than 4000 people.

Future impact: So far our effort is to create awareness and develop a linkage in such areas this is the growth we have achieved. Now we are developing the (Kathfull Haat) MUSHROOM MARKET, Collection and Distribution concept to provide planting materials, technical guidance and market linkage backed by the (MUSHROOM BANK) Micro- Finance to the 1000 families will give us a growth of 10,00,000 Kg per annum. Implementation of this model will take three years from now by 2010 the model will be understood in details and then within next three years six such projects can be replicated simultaneously and by the end of ten years the entire state will be in a network of farmers producing mushroom and other commodities will find direct market exposure.

Sustainability - resource base: Fees from training and from service charge rendered from collection and distribution i.e. sales of product and services; we cover almost 50% of our cost. Rest comes from strategic partnership from various other organizations as consultancy etc. further we have been awarded with 15,000 US $ by Clarence Foundation USA for creating Collection and distribution centers, etc. We have several Volunteers working with us in organizing and getting sponsor for organizing awareness programs. Further we have 14 Volunteer who are simple villagers taking up the role of the missionary in our projected area to create the first 1000 families to grow mushroom as an additional income generating activity our biggest asset today.

Major challenge for the field: To enhance the economic condition of the paddy farmers we are working each day and our months of effort are paying our ideas to be bought into the field democratically very slow. For lack of adequate fund, professional services and exposures to optimize our capacity.

Contact Information:

Pranjal Baruah

Name: Pranjal Baruah
Mailing address: 32, Lamb road, Ambari, Guwahtai-781001.
Country: India
Email: mdfassam@hotmail.com
Tel: 91-361-2543967, 91-361-2333591, 91-94350-16984