Summary of KMS Inception Workshop

Background:
To achieve this aim of maize stabilisation CInI networked with some like minded organizations. In order to give them the full ownership of Kharif Maize Stablisation (KMS) program, it was thought that they should be involved in this program from ab-initio level and should have a single vision to achieve through this program. Thus a ‘vision convergence and action planning workshop’, a two day residential exercise was conducted, with partner organizations, maize scientists and practitioners and representatives of farmer organizations.

Agenda of the Workshop: The workshop was opened by Mr. Aditya, formally announcing the agenda for the workshop. The agenda set for the workshop, as the title of workshop very clearly suggests, was to understand the need of ‘Kharif maize stabilisation’ and to converge the vision of all stakeholders around it. In this workshop it was expected that all the regional partners would share their ideas and experiences around maize and maize based tribal livelihood system, in their respective areas. Expectation from the scientific community was to share their national or international experiences around maize. Eventually, based on these and further focussed discussion, Visioning and Action Planning for Kharif season 2009 was to be done.
Presentations and Discussions: Experiences and view points around maize were shared by all the participants. Mr. Ganesh initiated by highlighting the issues of Tribals of Central India and CInI’s thematic focuses to address those issues. He shared the broad vision and some highlights of each of the themes. Subsequently presentations were given by regional partners on gaps in existing maize cultivation practices and suggestive approaches for KMS. They also shared their expectations from KMS. Presentation was given by CInI on maize referring the learning of a third party study around maize, reflecting the tendencies of maize growers, to go for traditional farming, socio cultural, socio economic, biotic and aboitic constraints in front of KMS while strategising for yield enhancement. Views of a representative of farmers’ lift federation were also taken, who highlighted that Hybrid is though more productive but locals don’t like it as it does not match with their taste.
Presentations were made by national (Main Maize Research Station, A.A.U) and international (CIMMYT  Int.) research organisation sharing their learning of previous programs. One important experience shared by CIMMYT was that of Mother-Baby Trial for participatory varietals evaluation.

Action Planning
Second day was fully devoted for action planning and in it first some priority topics like: which seed variety should be taken? , what is the sustainable method of technology extension? etc. were discussed in detail. Later exercise of listing major activities under KMS and freeing dates and point person for communication was done.

Highlights of KMS Kharif 2009 Plan

• High emphasis on seed replacement
• Trials of two to three best performed Composite seed varieties in clusters
• Three cluster with each team, each cluster 20 farmers
• High emphasis on plant population by maintaining spacing row to row (50 cm) plant to plant (20 to 30 cm)
• Promoting N2 fixing and erosion resistant intercrop of pigeon pea, black gram etc
• Idea incubation of agri mechanisation for mechanised sowing to maintain spacing.
• Idea incubation of focussed review and facilitation on filed through service provider model equipped with specialised field tools of monitoring.
• Periodic review by CInI and resource person
• Long term perspective of seed production. Activity to be taken in Rabi.