Name of the Project: Farmer FIRST Project

1. Rationality:

‘Farmer FIRST’ is an ICAR initiative to move beyond the production and productivity, to privilege the small holder agriculture and complex, diverse and risk prone realities of majority of the farmers through enhancing farmers-scientists contact. There are concepts and domains that are new in emphasis like resource management, climate resilient agriculture, production management including storage, market chains, value chains, innovation systems, information system, etc. The Farmer FIRST as a concept of ICAR is developed as farmer in a centric role for research problem identification, prioritization and conduct of experiments and its management in farmers’ conditions. The focus is on farmer’s farm, innovations, resources, science and technology (FIRST). Two terms ‘enriching knowledge’ and ‘integrating technology’ qualify the meaning of Farmer FIRST in Indian context. Enriching knowledge signifies the need for the research system as well as farmers to learn from each other in context to existing farm environment, perception of each other and interactions with the sub-systems established around. Technology integration is looked from the perspective that the scientific outputs coming out from the research institutions, many times do not fit as such in the farmers’ conditions and thus, certain alterations and adaptations are required at field level for their acceptance, adoption and success.

2. Objective:

1. To facilitate participatory assessment of farming systems and innovations and integration of science led innovations and practices into farmers’ mixed farming system models for enhancing farm productivity and profitability.
2. To establish economic activity spreading linkage model among the farmers for improving their access to information, technology, input and market.
3. To develop skills and build farmers’ capacities for adoption of modern agriculture and entrepreneurship development.

3. Achievements:

5. Good Quality Photographs