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The District Collectors - aiggpa.mp.gov.in
Transcript of The District Collectors - aiggpa.mp.gov.in
Exp l o r i n g t h e Emp l o ymen t Po t e n t i a l
i n Ru r a l a r e a s o f Bunde l k h and r e g i o n ,
Madhy a P r a d e s h
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance andPolicy Analysis
DAMOH
D I S TR I C T
REPORT
DECEM
BER
2020
Disclaimer : During the course of the study, sizeable data was collected by the authors from
various departments and official sources. In addition, a lot of historical information was
obtained from the officers, community and other stakeholders through structured interviews
and Focus Group Discussions. While the authors have taken due care to validate this data to
the extent possible, not all of it could be verified or corroborated, and therefore, IGG cannot
take responsibility for the accuracy of the same.
During the course of the Study, the Project Team from IGG benefitted immensely by
the inputs gathered during several interactions with:
The District Collectors
The Chief Executive Officers of Zila Panchayats
The district heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal
Husbandry, Fisheries, District Industries Centre, Forests, Tribal Development.
District Project Managers and staff of State Rural Livelihoods Mission
Staff of Civil Society Organisations working on rural livelihoods in Bundelkhand
region, namely, ASA, CARD, Development Alternatives, Haritika, Mahila Chetna
Manch, PRADAN, Samarthan, and SRIJAN and World Vision
Krishi Vigyan Kendras in the districts covered
District Development Managers of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD)
The Project Team has also benefitted from the inputs from and interaction with the
participants of three meetings with the district level heads of different departments
and institutions organised by the District Collectors:
At Sagar on 16th October 2019
At Damoh on 17th October 2019
At Tikamgarh on 29th January 2020
Exploring the Employment Potential
in Rural Areas of Bundelkhand
Region of Madhya Pradesh
District Damoh
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance
and Policy Analysis, Bhopal
December 2020
© Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis (IGG)
Sushasan Bhawan
Bhadbada Square, T. T. Nagar
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, 462003
www.aiggpa.mp.gov.in
This report is the property of IGG. We encourage dissemination of our work for non-
commercial and non-exclusive purposes, so long as the source is properly acknowledged.
To be cited as:
IGG; Exploring Potential of Employment in Rural Areas Bundelkhand Region of Madhya
Pradesh – District Damoh; Bhopal, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and
Policy Analysis (IGG); December 2020.
This report is one of the outputs of the study commissioned by the Centre for NRM and
Decentralised Governance, IGG on request of the Bundelkhand Development Authority
(BDA) to assess the potential of enhancing employment in the Bundelkhand region of
Madhya Pradesh. A separate report on the study of employment in urban areas is being
published by IGG separately.
This report presents district-specific situation and potential of rural employment in district
Damoh. It should be read together with the Main Report covering the entire study area of
five districts in the Bundelkhand Region of Madhya Pradesh.
Conducted for:
Bundelkhand Development Authority (BDA)
Project Guidance:
Mr. R. Parasuram, Ex-Director General, IGG
Mr. Mangesh Tyagi, Principal Advisor, Centre for NRM & Dec. Governance, IGG
Project Team:
Dr. Anitha Govindaraj, Advisor, Centre for NRM & Decentralised Governance, IGG
Mr. Yugandhar Mandavkar, Fellow, IGG
Mr. Soumitra M. Peshave, Research Associate, IGG
Mr. Dhananjay Singh Yadav, Research Associate, IGG
Mr. Rohit Ranjan, Research Associate, IGG
Key Words:
Rural employment, rural enterprises, group enterprises, cluster approach, resource based
potential, Bundelkhand
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page i
Key Takeaways
Given the primarily agrarian nature of rural economy of District Damoh and high unemployment
rate in the rural areas, especially among women, the strategy should focus on making agriculture
more remunerative, so as to provide higher income to the labour force engaged in it. It is suggested
to strengthen the agriculture and allied sectors with backward and forward linkages to address the
twin problem of poverty and unemployment. Availability of productive forest lands with reasonable
tree cover presents scope for promoting NTFP based livelihoods.
Main Recommendations
Promotion of new sub-sectors and activities and to revamp the existing ones
Skill building to improve employability and productivity of rural youth
Capacity building of the entrepreneurs
Establishing systems and other reforms
1. Sub-sectors and Activities
1.1 Soil Water Conservation
District Damoh has a limited irrigation coverage necessitating productivity interventions in dryland
farming technology. Rainwater harvesting and efficiency in water use hold the key, thus prompting
for integrated interventions on soil and water on watershed basis. It is recommended to increase the
coverage of watershed project in the entire district.
1.2 Agriculture
Field Crops : It is recommended to promote pulses (red gram, black gram, lentil and Bengal
gram) and oilseeds (mustard and sesame) on a larger scale. Black wheat has shown promising
results and should be expanded to larger area.
Horticulture : Fruit crops recommended are citrus, papaya, sapota, mango, ber, and
pomegranate. Vegetables (potato, onion and tomato) and spices like chillies, turmeric, cumin,
coriander and carom seed (ajwain) can be grown in addition to the seasonal vegetables (like
gourds, brinjal, cucurbits, etc). Red chilli clusters should be developed in all the blocks.
Backward linkages: Promotion of organic manures and plant growth promoters through SHGs
and farmers groups is also recommended, esp in the existing and prospective vegetable clusters.
Agricultural implements : Custom Hiring Centres should be established to cater to the
demands of such pump sets and large machinery, whereas the small implements should be
provided to the farmers on subsidy. Appropriate tools and implements to reduce drudgery of
women in agriculture is an expressed need of the farmers.
Forward Linkages : The district has sizable scope for promoting food processing units in form
of rice mills, dal mills, oil mills, and processing units for turmeric and other local crops.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page ii
1.3 Livestock and Dairy
There is a scope of strengthening dairy activity by supporting village level milk collection
and cluster level chilling centres. SRLM is working on this area and is likely to launch few
milk routes; it may be replicated in more clusters.
Goat and backyard poultry should be promoted among the landless households and among
small and marginal farmers.
In both the cases, provision of healthcare services would greatly improve the profitability.
Such services may be provided by the department through FPOs or SHGs (see 4.2 below).
1.4 NTFP Trade
Collection, aggregation and trade of non-timber forest produce like Mahua, Amla, and Chironji can
be promoted especially among the poor.
2. Skills and Capacity Building of Youth and Farmers
It is recommended to build the skills and capacities of the farmers and youth in appropriate
farming techniques.
It will require serious strengthening of extension services in agriculture and livestock at the
farm level. It is recommended to engage CSOs to provide training and field level follow up
on a massive scale, while the government departments and KVKs get prepared for this.
It is recommended to develop cadres of barefoot professionals for agriculture and for
livestock healthcare in all blocks. It is possible to promote new FPOs and strengthen the
existing ones for this extension and promotion of scientific agriculture.
3. Capacity Building on Entrepreneurship
It is suggested to build capacities of individual and group entrepreneurs in terms of enterprise-
specific knowledge and skills on a limited scale in the next few years.
4. Establishing Systems and Sector Reforms
4.1 Agriculture extension
This was found to be the weakest link in development of agriculture, livestock and allied sectors in
the entire region. The Department of Agriculture should take urgent steps to correct this malady.
Until the time the departments gears up to address this critical gap, it is recommended to engage
competent CSOs to provide training, on-site technical support and field level handholding on a
comprehensive scale.
4.2 Institutional credit
Access to institutional credit is a common constraint in district Chhatarpur. It is recommended to
expand the borrower base through SHGs and FPOs under the recently launched Atmanirbhar
Bharat programme of the government.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page iii
The Opener
Employment creation assumes a great importance for policy makers and development
administration as a natural response to the development challenges of Bundelkhand region. Rural
Bundelkhand is characterised by poor resource endowment, recurrent droughts, poverty, and
resultant migration. Low natural resource endowment, together with low rate of industrialisation
and commerce, has resulted in low employment opportunities for the people.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis (IGG) conducted a study
on Exploring the Employment Potential in Bundelkhand Region of Madhya Pradesh. It was
commissioned by the Bundelkhand Development Authority (BDA) towards the overall
development of the region with focus on rural employment. It covered five districts of Bundelkhand
region namely, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Panna, Sagar, and Tikamgarh and Niwari. Niwari is recently
bifurcated from district Tikamgarh, but for this report Tikamgarh and Niwari are considered as one
undivided district. The study was carried out with a combination of qualitative and quantitative
methods using information gathered from both primary and secondary sources.
This report is a result of the hard work and persistent efforts of Dr Anitha Govindraj, Advisor and
Mr Yugandhar Mandavkar, Fellow. Their efforts came to fruition as the study was industriously
supported by the team of Research Associates Soumitra Peshawe, Dhananjay Singh Yadav and
Rohit Ranjan. The work could not have been completed without the continuous encouragement and
valuable guidance of Mr Mangesh Tyagi, Senior Advisor.
Several individuals and institutions provided useful insights into the phenomenon of rural
employment and shared their experiences of various interventions. The Research Team of IGG is
grateful to the District Collector, Mr Tarun Rathi, IAS and the CEO, Zila Panchayat, Mr Girish
Mishra. Thanks are due to the heads of various departments and staff of KVK, SRLM, SRLM, DIC,
KVIB, NABARD, etc. The Study greatly benefitted from the inputs provided by the primary
stakeholders, namely, the women, youth and farmers, the Self Help Groups, Farmers Groups and
FPOs, Agro-Service Centres, other entrepreneur groups and individual entrepreneurs, and the Gram
Panchayat members and functionaries.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page v
Abbreviations and Acronyms
APMC Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (Mandi)
ASA Action for Social Advancement, a CSO
BDA Bundelkhand Development Authority
BIWAL Bundelkhand Initiative for Water, Agriculture and Livelihood
c. circa
CARD Centre for Advanced Research and Development, a CSO
CBO Community Based Organisation
CEO Chief Executive Officer (often, of ZP)
CSO Civil Society Organisation
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DA Development Alternatives, a CSO
DC District Collector (DM, District Magistrate, in some countries)
DDU-KVY Deen Dayal Upadhyay Kaushal Vikas Yojana
DIC District Industries Centre
DP&RD Department of Panchayat and Rural Development
FFS Farmers' Field School
FGD Focus Group Discussion
FPO Farmers’ Producer Organisation
GoI Government of India
GoMP Government of Madhya Pradesh
GP Gram Panchayat (a local governance unit)
HUF Hindustan Unilever Foundation
IGG Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
ITI Industrial Training Institute
KVIB Khadi and Village Industries Board (at State level)
KVIC Khadi and Village Industries Commission (at National level)
LEISA Low External Inputs Sustainable Agriculture
LFPR Labour Force Participation Rate
MNREGA Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
MSL [above] Mean Sea Level
MUDRA Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (also, MUDRA Bank)
NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
NOC No Objection Certificate
NSS National Sample Survey
NTFP Non-Timber Forest Produce
PFT Project Facilitation Team
PMU Project Management Unit
PSL Priority Sector Lending
RRB Regional Rural Bank
RSA Resource Support Agency
RSETI Rural Self Employment Training Institute
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page vi
SDG Sustainable Development Goals
SHG Self Help Group
SME Small and Micro Enterprise
SRIJAN Self Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action, a CSO
SRLM State Rural Livelihood Mission
SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
TVI Traditional Village Industry
viz. namely
WPR Worker Population Ratio
ZP Zila Panchayat
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page vii
Table of Content
Key Takeaways i
The Opener iii
Abbreviations and Acronyms v
A Prefatory Note – District Damoh ix
Chapter 1 Natural Resources and Development Potential 1
1.1 Topography and Soils 1
1.2 Forests and Natural Vegetation 1
1.3 Climate and Rainfall 2
1.4 Land Resources 2
1.5 Water Resources 4
1.6 Agriculture and crops 5
1.7
Livestock Resources 6
Chapter 2 Human and Institutional Resources 9
2.1 Worker Population Ratio 9
2.2 Labour Force Participation Rate 9
2.3 Unemployment Rate 9
2.4 Disguised Unemployment 10
2.5 Migration 10
2.6 Quality of Human Resource 11
2.7 Employment in Industrial Sector 12
2.8
Institutional Credit 12
Chapter 3 Community Perspective on Achievements and Expectations 15
3.1 Summary of Successful Initiatives 15
3.2 Analysis of Successful Rural Enterprises 16
3.3 Needs and Aspirations of the Stakeholders 18
3.4 Suggestions Not Found Advisable or Feasible 23
Chapter 4 What does the future hold? The Recommendations 25
4.1 Sub-sectors and Activities 25
4.2 Skills and Capacity Building of Youth and Farmers 27
4.3 Capacity Building on Entrepreneurship 27
4.4 Establishing Systems and Sector Reforms 28
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page ix
A Prefatory Note - District Damoh
About the Study
The study on potential of rural employment in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh is
ultimately meant to benefit the people of the region to tide over their livelihood deficits. It is thus
focussing on the key issues of unemployment and its manifestation in rural areas through capturing
the phenomenon from the viewpoint of the primary stakeholders, namely, SHGs, FPOs, farmers,
youth, women, Gram Panchayat members and functionaries, and entrepreneurs.
Scope and Methodology
The study looked at the phenomenon of unemployment and development in the five districts from
the perspective of the current status of employment among rural population, identification of
potential sectors and strategies to increase employment opportunities and rural work force
participation, and enterprise promotion. The study was carried out with a qualitative approach using
combination of primary and secondary data sources to understand the present situation and to
identify the potential areas of employment.
Structure of the Report
This district-wise report for Damoh is divided into the following four chapters covering:
Natural Resource endowment and development potential based on the available resources
Human and institutional resources, main occupations of people and present status of
employment among rural population in the district
Perspective of community and other stakeholders and their experiences of enhancing
employment and income
Recommendations for improving employment opportunities and promotion of the sub-
sectors or enterprises identified for the district.
It is hoped that this report will help development agencies, project designers and policy makers in
addressing unemployment in the districts and the region.
About the District
District Damoh lies between 23°09′ and 24°27′ North latitude and between 79°03′ and 79°57′ East
longitude in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh. The shape of the district is irregular and
elongated from North to South with projection in the East and West. District Damoh lies on the
Malwa-Bundelkhand plateau, the south-eastern part of the great Vindhyan plateau, which stretches
north of and parallel to the river Narmada. The District is bounded by district Chhatarpur in the
North and northwest, district Sagar in the West, districts Narsimhapur and Jabalpur in the South and
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page x
parts of Katni, Jabalpur and Panna in the East. The District is spread over an area of 7306 sq km is
comprises 1290 villages (out of which 1239 are inhabited) and nine towns divided into seven
Tehsils. There are seven Community Development Blocks in the District – Barigarh (Batiagarh),
Damoh, Hatta, Jabera, Patera, Patharia and Tendukheda (Fig:1).
The district has good road and rail connectivity. Damoh city is connected by the Bina-Katni branch
line of Central Railway. The district is traversed by first class roads which connect it with important
towns like Bhopal, Jabalpur, Sagar, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Chhattarpur and Panna.
Fig 1 : Location Map of District Damoh
District Damoh is divided into seven community development blocks and eleven tehsils
(Batiyagarh, Damoh, Hatta, Jabera, Patera, Patharia and Tendukheda). As per census 2011, the total
population of the district is 12,64,291 (297,603 households) living in 1229 inhabited villages
belonging to 460 Gram Panchayats and nine towns.
Chapter 1 : Natural Resources and Development Potential
As the employment potential in a rural area depends on its resource endowment, it was studied
comprehensively to assess the potential and limitations. The natural resources and its usage in
district Damoh was studied with a view to increase the employment opportunities based on these
resources. The resource based potential for improving employment in the district was analysed and
presented in this chapter.
1.1 Topography and soils
Topographically, district Damoh is divided into three physiographic sub divisions, namely, Vindhya
range, Vindhya scarps and Bundelkhend upland. The Vindhya scarp covers the entire Sonar valley
and the southern plateau, excluding the main line of hills belonging to the Vindhyan range, which
may be grouped with the rest of the southern hills. Except a few small streams joining the river
Hiran, a tributary of the river Narmada, the whole district is drained into river Yamuna through the
tributaries and feeders of the river Ken.
Soils : The major part of the district is covered by medium black fine clay soils. Alluvial types of
grey to black clay loam soils occur on the banks of rivers Sonar and Bearma in the North and in the
West. Sandy clay loam and sandy loam soils are found in most other parts. Small portion of skeletal
soil formed due to the weathering of sandstone is observed near the foothills in the southern part of
the district.
1.2 Forests and natural vegetation
District Damoh had about half of its area covered with thick forests, scrubs and grasslands a century
ago, which has now reduced to 36%. The tropical dry deciduous type of forests have species like
teak, Saja, Bija, Dhaora, Tendu, Tinsa, Jamun, Behera and Mahua as main tree species. Chironji,
Ber, Palas, Dhawai and Lantana among the shrubs and Musyal, Kaila and Perbi are the grazing
grasses found in the district.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 2
1.3 Climate and Rainfall
District Damoh has a generally dry climate, with the hot weather beginning in March till the onset
of the monsoon in June. The normal maximum temperature in the month of May is 42.0°C and
minimum during the months of December to January is 9.7°C. The normal annual mean maximum
and minimum temperatures are 32.6° and 18.9°C, respectively. The rainfall distribution pattern
shows distinct dry and wet seasons, with 92.2 percent of the rain falling during the monsoon,
between June to September. The average annual rainfall in various blocks of the district is above
1000 mm, ranging from 1008.3 mm for Banthyagarh block to 1277.5 mm in Jabera block. The
district average, based on the last 41 years of data, is 1176.9 mm.
Table 1.1 : Monthly Rainfall Distribution
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Seasonal
11.50 20.65 8.26 7.74 4.40 148.36 354.87 438.54 182.67 28.47 4.09 6.95 1,176.86 1,084.74
1.4 Land resources
District Damoh has good tree cover with about 36.7% of its geographic area as forest land (267,118
ha), as shown in Table 1.2 below. It has just about 41.8% of the land under agriculture, net sown
area being 304,618 ha. The district has 39.2% of the net sown area under irrigation, nearly half of it
being irrigated by wells. The proportion of irrigated area in district Damoh is slightly lower than the
average for Bundelkhand region (46%) and far lower than the state average (59%). The district has
241,269 ha as double cropped area and 202,020 ha as single cropped area, with cropping intensity
166.3%. The cropping intensity is higher than the state average of 155.1% and the national average
of 141.6%.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 3
Table 1.2 : Land Use Pattern – District Damoh
S No Land Use Area, ha As %
1 Forest Area 267,118 36.67%
2 Barren and Uncultivable 50,368 6.91%
3a Pastures 35,014 4.81%
3b Land under Misc Tree Crops 801 0.11%
4 Culturable Waste land 10,846 1.49%
5a Fallow land 9,038 1.24%
5b Current Fallow 6,530 0.90%
6 Net Area sown 304,618 41.81%
6a Rainfed land 185,074 60.76%
6b Total Area Irrigated 119,543 39.24%
6bi Canal Irrigation 12,953 10.84%
6bii Well Irrigation 58,908 49.28%
6biii Tank and lakes irrigation 2,535 2.12%
6biv Waterfall irrigation 3,966 3.32%
6bv Other sources 41,181 34.45%
7 Area under non-agriculture uses 44,251 6.07%
Total 728,583 100.00%
Land Distribution
The privately owned land in district Damoh is 389,641 ha belonging to 130,696 farming families
(Table 1.3). The land distribution is more skewed compared to the other districts of Bundlekhnad.
Marginal farmers and small farmers constitute nearly two-third of the families (42.9% and 22.1%,
respectively), collectively owning about one-sixth (17.1%) of land; whereas the top one-sixth of the
farmers own nearly two third of the cultivable land. This skewed pattern of landholding may not
pose a serious problem in near future, but the interventions should be planned to ensure equity for
the results to sustain in the long run.
Table 1.3 : Land Distribution Pattern
Category No of Farmers As % Area, ha As %
Marginal farmers 56,036 42.88% 24,806 6.37%
Small farmers 28,860 22.08% 41,703 10.70%
Semi medium farmers 24,093 18.43% 66,715 17.12%
Medium farmers 17,074 13.06% 181,930 46.69%
Large farmers 4,633 3.54% 74,487 19.12%
Total 130,696 100.0% 389,641 100.0%
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 4
1.5 Water Resources
District Damoh has more than 300 traditional water bodies, built over a period of many centuries,
for the use of local population for domestic and productive purposes. These tanks provide
livelihoods to many families through irrigation and aquaculture - fisheries, water chestnut, lotus
seed, etc. IGG has inventoried 218 of these tanks providing flow irrigation to 59,651 hectares of
cropland every year. In addition, the recharge benefits help the farmers to irrigate between 30-50
thousand hectares of land depending on the rainfall distribution within the particular year.
Recently, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have launched Bundelkhand Initiative Water,
Agriculture and Livelihoods (BIWAL) for repairing and rejuvenation of traditional water bodies
and strengthening rural livelihoods in collaboration with the Department of Panchayat and Rural
Development and Bundelkhand Development Authority (BDA). It is likely to improve water
availability, thereby increasing the potential for aquaculture and irrigated agriculture.
A traditional tank in village Nandgay Khurd
Box 1.1 Potential Based on Land and Water Resources
Good and dependable rainfall
The area under forests is 36.7%, which has diverse and productive vegetation. It presents a high potential collection and trade of NTFP, in surrounding villages.
About 13.3% of geographic area is under pastures and wastelands as common land, presenting a scope for CPR based activities (such as small ruminants, cultivation of fodder or other herbs) for the landless and smallholder families.
District Damoh has limited scope for expanding agriculture due to low net sown area and low proportion of irrigated land. At the same time, cropping intensity is high. Thus, the focus should be on increasing the productivity of land and water, esp. in dryland farming, to increase employment.
Repair and rejuvenation of existing water bodies, including the traditional tanks, will improve water availability and help improve agriculture, aquaculture and livelihoods.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 5
1.6 Agriculture and crops
The principal crops grown
in district Damoh include
Bengal gram, paddy, wheat,
black gram, soybean and
lentil (Table 1.4). The area
under cereals, pulses and
oilseeds is 33.1%, 56.4%
and 11.2% of the gross
cropped area, resp.
Vegetables are grown on
4,682 ha (0.90%) and
spices, mostly onion, is
grown on 1,201 ha (0.23%
of gross cropped area).
Table 1.4 : Main Crops and their Productivity
S No Crop Area,
ha
As %
of
GCA
Average
Yield,
kg/ha
State
Average,
kg/ha
India
Average,
kg/ha
1 Kharif crops
1.1 Paddy 71,018 11.20% 2,027 1,737 2,342
1.2 Sorghum 1,378 0.22% 2,181 1,747 1,013
1.3 Maize 4,429 0.70% 1,916 2,255 2,300
1.4 Black gram 63,379 10.00% 687 438 572
1.5 Red gram 32,794 5.17% 849 807 785
1.6 Sesame 2,372 0.37% 575 489 375+
1.7 Soybean 52,411 8.27% 724 1,065 1,042
2 Rabi crops
2.1 Wheat 95,628 15.08% 2,757 2,860 3,047
2.2 Bengal gram 177,990 28.07% 935 1,009 942
2.3 Lentil (Masoor) 20,267 3.20% 795 1,111 1,205
2.4 Mustard 2,622 0.41% 973 1,111 1,205
2.5 Groundnut 1,055 0.17% 1,220 1,641 1,444
3 Vegetables 4,682 0.74%
4 Spices 1,201 0.19%
The area under main crops is as per the follows:
Kharif cereals 76,825 ha (12.12% of the gross sown area)
Kharif pulses 96,173 ha (15.17% of the gross sown area)
Kharif oilseeds, mostly soybean, 54,783 ha (8.64% of the gross sown area)
Rabi cereals 95,628 ha (15.08% of the gross sown area)
Rabi pulses 1,98,257 ha (31.27% of the gross sown area)
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 6
Rabi oilseeds 3,677 ha (0.57% of the gross sown area)
Vegetables 4,682 ha (0.74% of gross cultivated area)
Spices 1,201 ha (0.19% of gross cultivated area)
Agricultural Implements
Availability or access to improved agricultural implements or equipment is one of the key factors
contributing to farm productivity. Present availability was compared with the net sown area to
check the adequacy (Table 1.5). It was found that the level of farm mechanisation is moderately
low, and the availability of farm implements needs to be increased in order to achieve the goal of
increasing farm productivity. It also indicates good scope for custom hiring centres (CHCs) to serve
the needs of the farmers.
Table 1.5 : Agricultural Implements
S No Equipment Number Coverage
(ha/ unit)
Suggested
ratio
(ha/unit)
1 Wooden plough 26,942 11.31 5
2 Iron plough/ MB plough 11,207 27.18 20
3 Bullock cart 8,239 36.97 15
4 Diesel pump sets 9,336 21.47
5 Electric pump sets 26,332 7.61 5
6 Tractors 5,335 37.57 30
1.7 Livestock
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 7
Total livestock population in the district is 7.86 lakh out indicating prominent role of livestock in
the rural economy. Out of these, cattle constitute 3.05 lakh and buffaloes 0.74 lakh. Goats compose
the small ruminants accounting for 0.88 lakh. The district has 0.46 lakh poultry birds under farm
rearing method. The carrying capacity of the district indicates a very high potential for promoting
all kinds of livestock, especially buffalo with farmers having access to water and fodder and goats
in case of the landless and the small and marginal farmers. Backyard poultry and fisheries also
present a high potential for increasing income of the poor families.
Box 1.2 Potential for Agriculture and Livestock Production
High crop yields of red gram, lentil, black gram and Bengal gram presents scope for
developing clusters for pulses cultivation and processing. District Damoh presents a
high potential for further increasing sesame production.
The district has untapped potential for fruit and vegetable cultivation
The district has very high scope for buffalo, goats based on the carrying capacity of
land. There is high scope for backyard poultry especially for the landless and the
small and marginal farmers.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 9
Chapter 2. Human and Institutional Resources
2.1 Worker Population Ratio
The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), defined as the number of persons employed as a proportion
of total population, for rural area of Damoh is 56.5% for male, which is far lower than the State and
national averages (80.1% and 75.2%, respectively) and 37.9% for females, which is close to the
state average (37.3%), but higher than the national average (25.5%). The Worker Population Ratio
for the rural district (both men and women put together) is 47.6%, which is close to the State
average (47.1%), but lower than the national average (53.9%).
2.2 Labour Force Assessment
Total rural population of district Damoh in age group 15-59 is estimated to be 666,444 which is
65.7% of total rural population (Table 2.1). The Labour Force Participation Rate for the rural area
of Damoh is 89.96% for male, which is higher than the State and national averages (73.0% and
78.0%, respectively) and 64.2% for females, which is far higher than the State and the national
average (21.5% and 31.7%, respectively). This indicates that a large number of rural women are
looking for employment opportunities, and also indicating that more persons are available for
employment or work in the district.
Table 2.1 : Workforce Assessment for Rural Chhatarpur
Category Male Female Total
Total main workers 227,730 85,203 312,933
Total marginal workers 71,774 97,819 169,953
Total Workers 299,504 183,022 482,526
Total Population 530,471 483,197 1,013,668
Worker Population Ratio 56.46 37.88 47.60
Population in age group 15+ 343,072 323,372 666,444
Labour Force Participation Rate 89.96% 64.22% 77.47%
Unemployment rate 2.95% 11.86% 6.54%
2.3 Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate for rural population in district Damoh was found to be 2.95% for men, which
is higher than the State average (2.1%), but close to the national average (2.9%). Unemployment
rate for rural women was found to be 11.9%, which is far higher than the State and the national
average (6.4% and 4.7%, respectively).
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 10
2.4 Disguised Unemployment
A rapid assessment of disguised employment in agriculture was carried out using available
secondary data (Table 2.2). Total manpower requirement was computed based on the cropping
pattern and was compared with the present reported employment.
Table 2.2 : Manpower Requirement in Agriculture
S No Crops Per ha labour
requirement Area, ha
Manpower
requirement
1 Single cropped area 80 202,020 16,161,600
2 Double cropped area 160 241,269 38,603,040
3 Area under horticulture 200 61 12,200
4 Area under vegetables 150 3,682 552,300
5 Area under spices 120 1,201 144,120
Total person days required 55,473,260
Total persons required Assuming 180 workdays 308,185
As against this, there are 363,157 persons reportedly engaged as full-time (main workers) and
146,424 persons as part-time (marginal workers) as cultivators and agricultural labourers. Put
together, they are contributing 7.85 crore persondays of work in agriculture, as against the
requirement of 5.36 crore persondays, indicating about 147% of disguised unemployment in
agriculture sector in district Chhatarpur. Fresh analysis is, however, is suggested based on the recent
data incorporating the return flow of migrant labour post Covid-19 pandemic.
2.5 Migration
Damoh presents very limited direct and indirect employment opportunities within the district, and
therefore, people migrate to the urban clusters in the surrounding districts and industrial hubs.
Among the skilled and semi-skilled youth, migration occurs primarily to areas such as Bhopal,
Rewa, Satna and Jabalpur. Availability of passenger trains at regular intervals allows people living
close to the railway line to work in other districts while continuing to live in their own villages.
While exact estimates of migration are not available, the administration is in the process of
preparing a database of migrant workers who returned due to the Covid-19 induced economic
lockdown and fallout. It would help in future in scientific planning of any livelihood interventions.
High unemployment rate among rural men and women in district Damoh partly explains
the poverty and underdevelopment situation. Further, high unemployment rate coupled
with high worker population ratio among women, calls for corrective measures.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 11
2.6 Quality of Human Resources
2.6.1 Education and skills
Analysis of educational situation in the year 2016-17 in district Damoh indicates that less than 13%
of students pursued studies beyond Higher Secondary Certificate1. Interestingly, 83.58% of persons
completing their education during the reference years have registered with Employment Exchange,
indicating high level of awareness and reflects need.
Table 2.3 : Educated Youth in the district
S No Qualification Men Women Total As%
1 SSC 24,741 27,133 51,874 50.75%
2 HSC 19,643 17,527 37,170 36.37%
3 Graduates & above 4,665 7,071 11,736 11.48%
4 Technical 1,248 179 1,427 1.40%
Total 50,297 51,910 102,207 100.0%
5 Registered with EE NA NA 85,422
As% NA NA 83.58%
2.6.2 Educational Institutions
The capacity of educational institutions and skill development facilities is limited in district Damoh.
The number of high schools is 8.07 per lakh population at the end of the year 2015-16, which is
lower than the State ratio of 10.77. Similarly, the number of higher secondary schools is only 8.31
per one lakh population, which is lower than the State ratio of 11.0 per one lakh population. The
district has one engineering college with intake capacity of 420, one polytechnic with 300 seats and
five ITIs with 500 seats. Two more ITIs/ITCs are planned in the district.
Table 2.4 : Educational Institutions in the District
S No Level Units Boys Girls Total
1 Primary Schools 630 31,115 33,064 64,179
2 Secondary Schools 80 6,374 5,931 12,305
3 High Schools 90 24,308 24,598 48,906
4 Higher Secondary 8 4,665 7,071 11,736
5 College 5 1,248 179 1,427
6 ITIs & other Technical 7 NA NA 1,220
Total 820 67,710 70,843 139,773
1 Caution should be exercised while interpreting this data, as gender segregated data is not available beyond 2012-
13. Further, data presented in the District Statistical Handbook does not match with that published by the MP State
Socio Economic Indicators for 2014 to 2016. Data from DISE is not available for these years.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 12
2.7 Employment in Industrial Sector
District Damoh has no major industries except two large scale cement plants, which employ 1816
workers. The district has about 7672 registered units in small scale industries with an estimated
investment of Rs 30 crore and employing about 18,258 persons. A number of small scale industries
based on oilseed milling, handloom weaving and dyeing, manufacture of bell-metal vessels and
pottery, are found in the district. Small and micro industries sector employs only 0.09% of the
workforce in the district (Table 2.5). Each registered unit employs nearly 1.4 person on an average.
It ranges from 1.0 person per unit for leather based industry to 3.5 per unit in case of paper and
paper products based industry. The ratio is 1.28 persons per agro-based unit.
Table 2.5 : Status of Industries in SME Sector (2015-16)
S
No Type of Industry
Number
of Units
Investment
(Lakh Rs)
Employment
(persons)
1 Agro based 69 13.93 88
2 Ready-made garments & embroidery 65 5.34 102
3 Wood/wooden based furniture 74 0.83 78
4 Paper & Paper products 2 7.06 7
5 Leather based 7 0.09 7
6 Mineral based 13 2.78 7
7 Metal based (Steel Fab.) 4 0.7 6
8 Engineering units 13 1.16 25
9 Electrical machinery & transport equipment 8 0.51 14
10 Repairing & servicing 62 7.26 106
11 Others 84 93.28 124
Total 401 132.94 564
2.8 Institutional Credit
The loan disbursement data for the financial institutions (all banks) in district for the last three years
indicate that the credit flows have been close to 50% of the targets, except for the crop loans, where
it was more than 70%. Interestingly, cooperative banks in the district outperform all other credit
institutions in terms of disbursement. During the last three years, crop loans accounted for 82.3% of
the priority sector lending and total agricultural lending was around 90%. The district has a low per
hectare credit disbursement ratio, amounting to an average of Rs 11000 per hectare of sown area,
indicating the gap or unmet demand.
Credit flows show erratic pattern over the years and across the types of
institutions, thus raising the potential of micro-finance.
Thin spread of credit societies also suggests scope for micro finance.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 13
Table 2.6 : Loan Disbursement by Financial Institutions
Bank FY 2015-16 FY 2016-17 FY 2017-18 Average As %
Commercial Banks 15,990,100 15,100,300 17,673,900 16,254,767 77.0%
RRB 3,290,500 3,930,100 3,415,700 3,545,433 16.8%
Coop Banks 1,645,800 1,030,400 1,258,400 1,311,533 6.2%
Total 20,926,400 20,060,800 22,348,000 21,111,733 100.0%
Crop Loan 11,159,700 11,549,600 14,014,700 12,241,333 58.0%
Agri Term Loan 4,578,300 3,872,800 4,049,600 4,166,900 19.7%
Other Priority Sector 3,882,600 3,205,500 2,845,800 3,311,300 15.7%
Non Agricultural Loan 1,305,800 1,432,900 1,437,800 1,392,167 6.6%
Total PSL 20,926,400 20,060,800 22,347,900 21,111,700 100.0%
2.9 In summary...
The resource based potential for increasing employment in rural areas of district Damoh can be
summarised in the following table.
Table 2.6 : Summary of Resource Based Potential
S No Sectors and
Segments
What can be promoted Reason
1 Agriculture Pulses (red gram, black gram,
Bengal gram and lentil) as
dryland crops
Familiar technology
Favourable agro-climatic
conditions
2 Fruits and vegetables Betel leaves
Fruits and vegetables
Good irrigation potential
3 Forest based NTFP collection and trade -
Mahua, Amla, Chironji
Sizable forest land
Productive vegetation
4 Backward linkages in
agriculture Implements and machinery hire
Seed production and trade
Organic manures and growth
promoters
Simple methods to
enhance productivity
Successful seed plants
CHCs may be promoted
5 Forward linkages in
agriculture Aggregation, storage and
transport
Processing of turmeric
Mini rice and oil mills
Sporadic examples
Main missing link
6 Livestock Buffalo rearing in clusters
Backyard poultry and goats for
smallholders and landless
For the poor
Familiar technology
Ready market
7 Aquaculture Fisheries in perennial tanks Ready market
The above inferences corroborate closely with the needs and aspirations expressed by various
stakeholders in the district. The findings from the interaction with various stakeholders are
presented in the following chapter.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 15
Chapter 3. Community Perspective on Achievements and Expectations
Perspective of the primary stakeholders was captured through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)
with farmers, youth, Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), as well
as semi-structured interviews with the officials from concerned departments, public institutions,
Civil Society Organisations and individual entrepreneurs. Several interactions were held with the
community and officials during the course of the study to gather their past experiences, opinions
and suggestions on sub-sectors and activities for increasing rural employment.
Information was collected on local initiatives by individual entrepreneurs, SHGs and FPOs, on
promotion and facilitation work done by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and others. During
these interactions, some noteworthy and successful initiatives got identified, which were studied in
detail. A summary of these experiences is presented at the beginning of this section, followed by the
perspectives of these stakeholders on their needs and expectations along with their suggestions for
improving employment scenario and opportunities in rural parts of District Damoh.
3.1 Summary of Successful Initiatives
During the course of the study, several interactions were held with the community and officials of
development administration and government departments to understand their efforts for creating
rural employment. These initiatives were analysed on their approaches, results and potential for
their replication and scaling up. This section of the report summarises the specific experiences and
key lessons from these initiatives.
Table 3.1 : Characteristics of Initiatives Studied
S No Entrepreneur Nature of Activity Key characteristics
A Agri-Inputs Supply
1 Potato initiative by Govind
Seeds and Crops Producer
Company Ltd
Scientific cultivation of
potato Technology support
Collective marketing
2 Damoh Krishi Chetna FPC Agri inputs supply,
scientific cultivation of
pulses
Package of practices
Technical and financial
guidance
B Aggregation and Trade
1 Jabera Krishak FPC Seeds and agricultural
inputs supply Contractual supply
Cluster based approach
2 SHGs in Damoh Black wheat Pilot level initiative
C Micro-Industry
1 Sanitary Napkin Unit Manufacture of sanitary
napkins Linking with institutional
markets
2 SHGs in Damoh Bundeli honey Collection and trade
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 16
3.2 Analysis of Successful Rural Enterprises
Presented below are the specific experiences of the farmers and entrepreneurs in the district, along
with the lessons from these initiatives for promoting rural employment in the long run.
3.2.1 Potato Initiative by Govind Seeds and Crops Producer Company Limited
Govind Seeds and Crops Producer Company Limited was established in February 2006 under
special project promoted by a CSO for production and marketing of certified seeds. It obtained a
license for trading in inputs and commodities and set up a shop in village Baraat of Pathariya block.
The company had a membership of 3037 members, out of which were active in seed production and
potato cultivation. The company aggregated and marketed it. Its turnover rose to Rs25 lakh by
2012. However, they started facing problems of cash flow since 2011 and gradually limited their
operations. They are trying to mobilise support for working capital and for expansion.
3.2.2 Pulses Promotion by Damoh Krishi Chetna Producer Company
Smallholder farmers from Patharia block came together to increase their income and to access to
inputs and services and formed Damoh Krishi Chetna Producers Organisations and registered it in
March 2013. They were guided and supported by Mahila Chetna Manch, a CSO, under a special
programme of Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC). Over 1600 farmers from 29
villages of Pathariya block became members and started cultivating pulses like peas, Bengal gram
Organic formulations can boost income of farmers
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 17
and lentil. Mahila Chetana Manch provided technical guidance on soil fertility and production
enhancement of pulse crop and facilitated linkages with government departments to provide
agriculture inputs supply. Convergence with government schemes related to pulse production,
National Food Security Mission and A3P (pulse seed, fertiliser, pesticides) were some of the key
factors in increasing income of the farmers.
3.2.3 Aggregation and Trade by Jabera Krishak Producer Co Ltd
Jabera Krishak Producer Company Limited was established with 1000 members under a special
project of Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) in April 2015. It is engaged in the seed
production, commodity trading and sell of agriculture inputs. The members at present produce both
breeder seeds and truthful seeds of paddy, black gram, green gram and Bengal gram. They
discontinued the soybean seed production some time ago. The company gets technical guidance
from PRADAN, a CSO, and India Gramin Services.
3.2.4 Sanitary Napkin Repackaging Unit under SRLM
The State Rural Livelihoods Mission in Damoh promoted manufacturing of sanitary pads through a
federation of Self Help Groups in Patera block under NRLM. They buy the cotton wool and raw
material in bulk from Delhi or Mumbai and manufacture the sanitary pads in three different sizes.
The machinery for manufacturing and packaging was provided on subsidy under SRLM scheme,
and the working capital was obtained on bank load.
For the first two years, majority of the production was sold through the schools. But, last year the
government decided to provide sanitary napkins through schemes to schools at subsidised rates. As
a result, the sales of the units have dropped, and the production had to be curtailed severely. At
present, the unit has about 2,000 unsold packets as inventory. The federation and SRLM are trying
to tap markets in the towns as also on website marketing.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 18
3.2.5 Seeds Processing Unit by Nowgoan Agriculture Producer Company Ltd
Nowgoan Agriculture Producer Company Ltd was established to help the farmers to produce
certified seeds and to supply agricultural inputs to the farmers. It was established under District
Poverty Initiatives Programme (DPIP) with a shareholding membership of 1184 farmers. The
company started with supply of agricultural inputs, mainly seeds and fertilisers, to the farmers in the
cluster of about twelve villages, with initial grant of Rs 25 lakh from DPIP. Soon they started
aggregating certified seeds from seed growing farmers, which became their main economic activity.
They established a facility for seed sorting and grading, certification and packaging of black gram,
green gram, red gram, groundnut, wheat, Bengal gram, pea, etc. Presently, they are supplying seeds
to various seed companies.
3.3 Needs and Aspirations of the Primary Stakeholders
Interactions during the field study reflected the perspectives of the community and their institutions
on rural employment as well as their needs and aspirations. These were gathered through Focus
Group Discussions with farmers, youth, Self Help Groups and Farmer Producer Organisations, and
through semi-structured interviews with the officials from concerned line departments, public
institutions and individual entrepreneurs. In this section are presented their experiences, needs,
perception of scope and expectations expressed by these stakeholders, along with their suggestions
for improving employment scenario and opportunities in rural parts of district Damoh.
3.3.1 Women’s SHGs
The Self Help Groups (SHGs) interviewed during the study were formed under various programmes
like DPIP (2002-08), Poorest Areas Civil Society or PACS (2005-08), Tejaswini (2007-13), SGSY
(1999-2011), etc. Most of these SHGs got subsequently covered under the NRLM or NABARD
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 19
programmes and continued to function. Savings and internal lending are the main activities of Self
Help Groups, where the members borrow mainly for agricultural inputs, educational expenses,
some priorities and any emergency consumption needs.
Few SHGs covered under the study promoted income generating activities and entrepreneurship
among members. Over the years, their members received training from different agencies on
activities like food processing, chalk making, incense sticks making, vegetable cultivation, soap and
phenyl making, etc. But, these were one-off events which were not followed with any other support
like technology, credit, marketing, etc.
SHGs helped build entrepreneurship among women
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 20
Expectations : The members of these groups requested training, technical guidance and marketing
support for tailoring, goat rearing, poultry and dairy activity. A few women wanted to start trading
in Mahua and Chironji, and wanted license from the Forest Department for the same. Almost all
women showed interest in apiculture and starting honey trade.
4.3.2 Aspirations of the Farmers
Most farmers are actively engaged in
rearing livestock and cultivation of rainfed
field crops. Only a few farmers have been
cultivating fruits and vegetables. Most
farmers are aware of benefits of
horticulture, and have worked in the
watershed project village in the
neighbourhood. They wanted to start
watershed project in their villages.
Main Challenges: The farmers highlighted
the following as the main issues affecting
them.
Limited availability of water during
Rabi season
Poor availability of seeds and
fertilisers at showing time and high
price
Decreasing yield of soybean for the
last few years, without any obvious
reason
Expectations: The farmers gave the
following suggestions to improve their
livelihoods
Rainwater harvesting and watershed
development
Cultivation of betel leaf
Cultivation of black wheat
Cultivation of fruit crops (citrus,
papaya, sapota, mango, ber,
pomegranate)
Cultivation of vegetables (potato, onion and tomato) and spices like chillies, turmeric,
cumin, coriander and carom seed (ajwain)
Technical guidance from Agriculture Department or KVK on cultivation of these crops
Black Wheat – A New Option
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 21
4.3.3 Aspirations of the Youth
Youth in the villages covered under the study are mostly engaged in agriculture, either on own farm
or as agricultural labour on others land. Most of them have studied up to middle school, but could
not continue education as there were no high schools in the vicinity.
Key issues/ constraints : The youth highlighted the following issues during the interaction.
• Most youth were familiar with agriculture and wanted to continue working in farming.
• They did not have any information on schemes. No beneficiaries of any such schemes like
DDU-KVY, RSETI, Mudra, SRLM, DIC, etc. could be found in these villages
• They wanted information and guidance on schemes of dairy, poultry and seed
treatment plant. They wanted to produce certified seeds in their farms.
Expectations : The youth did not express any expectations on the job employment prospects, but
specifically sought help and guidance on the following aspects.
• Processing and grading unit for seeds
• Dal mill and oil mills
• Processing of turmeric
• Support for irrigation pumpsets and well digging
4.2.4 Gram Panchayat Members
During the Focus Groups Discussions with the members and functionaries of the Gram Panchayats,
prevailing situation of employment and income generation opportunities in the villages were
discussed, and the Gram Panchayat’s efforts to address the issues of rural unemployment.
Main issues/ constraints : The Gram Panchayat representatives were well aware of MNREGA
provisions, but had limited information on the government schemes on agriculture. The members
claimed to have been actively pursuing various welfare and development schemes of the
government, especially on housing, drinking water and cattle camps. They share their concerns and
demands as per the follows.
They needed more information on PM Mahila Kisan Yojana and PM Sinchai Yojana
They did not get any benefits under PM Fasal Bima Yojana
Their demands or proposals for works under MNREGA do not get approved at the Block
level; instead, the Block authorities determine the works to be implemented in the village
Work generation through MGNREGA remains limited to non-productive and non-welfare
infrastructure like cement concrete roads, wastewater drains, cremation sites, etc.
Expectations : The Panchayat members sought help on the following aspects.
• Use of MNREGA for soil and water conservation
• Loans for entrepreneurs and subsidies under schemes
• Skill building of rural youth on repairing of agriculture equipment
• Setting up of seed processing and grading plant in a cluster of 10-20 villages
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 22
Summary
The community as well as officials suggested a number of sub-sector interventions and activities as
potential choice for generating rural employment and getting better prices for their produce. The
farmers and the youth in district Damoh also expressed the need for improving the returns from
agriculture and livestock. These are summarised below.
Table 3.2 : Consolidated Needs and Expectations of Stakeholders
S No Sub-sectors and
Activities
What the
stakeholders want
Past experience Feasible options
1 Soil and water
conservation Farm bunds
Farm pond
Gully plugs
Familiar with the
work in watershed
projects
Integrated work
on watershed basis
2 Agricultural
productivity Technical guidance
Breeder seeds
Seed plant
Extension support
almost non-existent
Extension services
Farmers Field
School approach
3 Horticulture Sapota, citrus, ber,
mango,
pomegranate
Turmeric, potato,
tomato, chilli,
carom seed
(ajwain),
Carried out on
small scale
sporadically
Bundeli Honey
Suitable for the
local soil and
climatic
conditions
Apiculture
4 Forest based NTFP collection
and trade –Mahua,
Amla, Chironji and
honey
Conventionally
done in forest
fringe areas
Sizable forest
land
Productive
vegetation
5 Backward
linkages to save
farmers’ costs
Supply of seeds,
fertilisers, organic
manures and inputs
Few successful
initiatives working
for long time
Need to relook at
FPOs and SHGs in
new role
6 Custom hiring
centres Agricultural
implements on rent
Few custom hiring
centres operate
Can be promoted
through FPOs
7 Forward linkages
for remunerative
agriculture
Crop specific
clusters for pulses.
Food processing -
dal, oil, turmeric,
etc
FPOs have shown
the success in few
enterprises
Technical
guidance
Working capital
Initial set up
8 Women’s micro-
enterprises Tailoring, dal mill,
masala making
Working capital
Successful history
of few small scale
interventions
Cluster based
approach
Micro finance
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 23
3.4 Some Suggestions not Found Advisable/ Feasible
During the interactions, some stakeholders made suggestions based on their observations or
information from other locations. Not all of those suggestions were found feasible. Few examples
are cited below, which could be avoided in the district.
Commercial crops like citronella, eucalyptus, Aloe vera, may be avoided because of
uncertain demand and total absence of local demand or consumption. Pilot scale
demonstrations may, however, be taken by KVK and others.
Tailoring for women and adolescent girls was proposed. However, it cannot run as a
commercial activity due to low demand in rural areas.
Warehouses and cold storages for vegetables and fruits were requested by few farmers and
the GP members. However, fruits and vegetables are highly perishable; not all types can be
stored in cold storage. Further, many cold storages are running in red because of inability to
use its capacity round the year. Erratic power supply is another constraint in its operation.
Based on the above, specific recommendations to increase the potential for rural employment in
district Damoh are presented in the next chapter.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 25
Chapter 4. What does the future hold? The Recommendations
The rural economy of District Damoh, like the rest of the Bundelkahnd region, is primarily
agrarian, with more than two-third of the rural workforce engaged in agriculture. Given the high
unemployment rate in the rural areas, especially among women, the strategy should focus on
making agriculture more remunerative, so as to provide higher income to the labour force engaged
in it. It is possible to strengthen the agriculture and allied sectors with backward and forward
linkages to address the twin problem of poverty and unemployment. Availability of productive
forest lands with reasonable tree cover presents scope for promoting NTFP based livelihoods.
Based on the findings of the study on increasing potential of rural employment in the district, the
following measures could be taken up. These recommendations are divided in four categories.
Promotion of new sub-sectors and activities and to revamp the existing ones
Skill building to improve employability and productivity of rural youth
Capacity building of the entrepreneurs
Establishing systems and other reforms
4.1 Sub-sectors and Activities
4.1.1 Soil Water Conservation
District Damoh has a limited irrigation coverage necessitating productivity interventions in dryland
farming technology. Rainwater harvesting and efficiency in water use hold the key, thus prompting
for integrated interventions on soil and water on watershed basis. It is recommended to increase the
coverage of watershed project in the entire district.
4.1.2 Agriculture
This is the largest area of interventions, which has the highest potential for remunerative
employment.
Field Crops : Agro-climatic conditions in District Damoh and skill base of the farmers presents
a good potential for scaling up pulses and oilseeds. It is recommended to promote pulses (red
gram, black gram, lentil and Bengal gram) and oilseeds (mustard and sesame) on a larger scale,
whereas wheat and soybean should be discouraged because of their low returns and high risk
involved. Black wheat has shown promising results and should be expanded to larger area.
Horticulture : At present, fruit crops and vegetables are grown on less than 2% of the net sown
area. There is large untapped potential of growing fruits and vegetable in the district, in view of
transport infrastructure and access to markets.
Fruit crops recommended are citrus, papaya, sapota, mango, ber, and pomegranate. Vegetables
(potato, onion and tomato) and spices like chillies, turmeric, cumin, coriander and carom seed
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 26
(ajwain) can be grown in addition to the seasonal vegetables (like gourds, brinjal, cucurbits,
etc). Red chilli clusters should be developed in all the blocks of the district.
Backward linkages: Timely availability of
seeds and fertilisers at affordable prices is a
major challenge in the rural areas,
especially those villages away from towns.
Extension services and working capital
support should be provided to existing FPOs
to undertake it as a backward linkage.
Promotion of organic manures and plant
growth promoters through SHGs and
farmers groups is also recommended,
especially in the existing and prospective
vegetable clusters.
Agricultural implements : There is a need
for promoting simple implements like
mould board ploughs, seed-cum-fertiliser
drills, cultivators and harrows, which can
significantly improve the productivity in
agriculture. Given the poor state of
electricity supply in the district, there is a
good scope for promoting portable solar
based pumpsets for irrigation under
Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Custom Hiring Centres should be established to cater to the
demands of such pump sets and large machinery, whereas the small implements should be
provided to the farmers on subsidy. Appropriate tools and implements to reduce drudgery of
women in agriculture is an expressed need of the farmers.
Forward Linkages : The district has sizable scope for promoting food processing units in form
of rice mills, dal mills, oil mills, and processing units for turmeric and other local crops. Thses
could be promoted on cluster basis.
4.1.2 Livestock and Dairy :
Livestock is an integral part of
farming in the entire
Bundelkhand. In rainfed areas,
livestock provides a buffer
against climate induced stresses,
and is an integral part of the
farming system. Many dairy
units have been operating for
years, but the experience has
been mixed. The milk collection
at the district union had been
very low – around 2000 litres to
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 27
5000 litres. SRLM is working on this area and is likely to launch few milk routes; it may be
replicated in more clusters.
Goat and backyard poultry should be promoted among the landless households and among
small and marginal farmers.
In both the cases, provision of healthcare services would greatly improve the profitability.
Such services may be provided by the department through FPOs or SHGs (see 4.2 below).
4.1.3 NTFP Trade
District Damoh has large forest area with productive vegetation. Collection, aggregation and trade
of non-timber forest produce like Mahua, Amla and Chironji present very high potential in villages
close to the forests. It may be promoted through the SHGs or Forest Protection Committees.
Collection of wild hone presents very good scope.
5.1.4 Other Enterprises
Several consumer products based on agriculture and allied sectors, like powdered spices, apparels
(tailoring), incense sticks, etc can be marketed in the numerous local markets (haats) and the towns
in the district. At present, these activities are being carried out as individual and group activities on
a limited scale. There is a need to consolidate these efforts and support cluster level SHGs or FPOs
to strengthen retail marketing.
4.2 Skills and Capacity Building of Youth and Farmers
One of the factors for low agricultural productivity and growth in district Damoh is the lack of
consistency and timeliness in extension services, as it has affected transfer of technology and
promotion of remunerative horticultural crops. It is recommended to build the skills and capacities
of the farmers and youth in appropriate farming techniques for on-farm and off-farm activities. It is
recommended to engage CSOs to provide training and field level follow up on a massive scale,
while the government departments and KVKs get prepared for this challenge to deliver the services
at the farm level through regular T&V or FFS approach.
It is recommended to develop cadres of barefoot professionals for agriculture and for livestock
healthcare in all blocks. It is possible to promote new FPOs and strengthen the existing ones for this
extension and promotion of scientific agriculture.
4.3 Capacity Building on Entrepreneurship
District Damoh presented an example of novel initiatives on rural entrepreneurship coupled with
short life span of enterprises. All the examples of rural entrepreneurship or rural income generating
activities, presented as case studies in section 4.2 earlier, presented a sudden success and
subsequent decline in productivity or profitability. It is partly due to limited transfer of skills and
competence to the rural entrepreneurs, highlighting the need to build capacities of both individual
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 28
and group entrepreneurs in terms of enterprise-specific knowledge and skills, including that of
mobilising technical and financial support available in the district and outside. Therefore,
strengthening of groups - SHGs, FPOs, FPCs, etc – is recommended with long term development
perspective.
A word of caution is in order here - managerial and marketing skills should be built in entrepreneur
groups (SHGs, FPOs, etc), but attempts to teach every farmer and every woman and every
entrepreneur to become an accountant and a manager and a salesperson and a trader and a marketer
should be religiously avoided. It must be understood that these skills are diverse, and the acumens
are not omnipresent in every individual. And, therefore, only relevant skills should be built in
different members of the groups.
4.4 Establishing Systems and Sector Reforms
4.4.1 Agriculture Extension
This was found to be the weakest link in development of agriculture, livestock and allied sectors in
the entire region, and specifically the district of Damoh. It was noticed that the department
functionaries visited the villages mainly to fill up scheme forms, and never visited the fields to
advise the farmers during the crop season. The Department of Agriculture should take urgent steps
to correct this malady. It is recommended to engage competent CSOs to provide training, on-site
technical support and field level handholding on a comprehensive scale, until the time the
departments equip themselves to address this critical gap.
4.4.2 Outreach of Schemes
The youth and farmers exhibited limited information of development schemes of the government,
and in spite of the claims by the Gram Panchayats, the communication was not effective in
delivering the message. It is recommended to reach out to the rural community and all potential
beneficiaries of relevant schemes with regular outreach programmes. Outreach should be made a
performance monitoring parameter for the GP Secretary. SRLM should be entrusted with this
responsibility in the villages covered under SRLM. In other areas, CSOs should be engaged to
implement regular outreach programme. It is recommended to include the outreach parameter in the
Village Score Card of the Gram Panchayats.
4.4.3 Institutional credit
Access to institutional credit, as is the case in other districts in Bundelkhand region, is a constraint
experienced by farmers and entrepreneurs in district Damoh. It is possible to expand the borrower
base through SHGs and FPOs under the recently launched Atmanirbhar Bharat programme of the
government. The District Lead Bank and NABARD can take initiative in this direction together
with DRDA and SRLM.
IGG (2020) Potential of Rural Employment in District Damoh Page 29
4.4.4 Cluster approach
Cluster approach is recommended in most of the initiatives recommended above, as mentioned in
Table 16 on the activities suggested by the primary stakeholders. It should be implemented with a
long term perspective, with clearly defined outcomes for each blocks of the next five years. Support
on appropriate technology, marketing and institutional credit should be made available through a
single window. NRLM and DRDA should be entrusted with the responsibility of setting up these
single windows, one for each cluster.
4.5 Summary of Recommendations
The main recommendations to increase the employment potential in rural areas of district Damoh
are summarised below in the following table (Table 4.1).
Table 4.1: Recommendations on Key Sub-sector Activities
Sub-sectors Allied Activities Support Services
Soil water conservation : Comprehensive approach for
erosion control and rainwater
harvesting
Farm bunds and farm ponds
Gully control and slope
stabilisation
Integrated watershed
management
NTFP collection and trade : Amla, Chironji, Mahua, honey
Working capital to SHGs or
JFMCs
Aggregation and marketing
through JFMCs or SHGs
Licensing by Forest Dept
Main crops: Focus on pulses
(red gram, black gram, lentil and
Bengal gram), while discouraging wheat and soybean
Soil water conservation on
watershed basis
Supply of seeds, manures,
fertilisers and pesticides.
Custom hiring centre of critical
farm implements
Promoting farmers groups
Technology support in terms of
on-site guidance and extension
Collective marketing through
FPOs or SHGs
Capacity building
Fruits and vegetable: Citrus sapota, ber, mango, papaya,
pomegranate, turmeric, potato,
tomato, chilli, carom seed
Technical guidnace
Alternative marketing channels
Same as above.
Farmers’ groups for inputs
supply and marketing
Livestock : Goat and backyard poultry for the poor
Livestock healthcare services Cadre of barefoot technologists
Forward linkages : Tailoring,
Dal mill, oil mill, Masala (processing of spices)
Technology support
Working capital
Cluster based Women’s
micro-enterprises set up
suggested for scale economies
Training and capacity building,
especially on marketing
Market linking through fairs