Impact of developmental project for sustainable pigeonpea livelihood system of rural poor households of Odisha

Farmers of Odisha’s rainfed areas have poor access to quality pigeonpea materials. In 2011, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) implemented a project ‘Introduction and Expansion of Improved Pigeonpea (Arhar) Production Technology in Rainfed Upland Ecosystems of Odisha’forfouryears (2011-2015) covering five districts. Two years after, a survey was conducted to study the adoption and effects of the interventions that revealed insights on yield, income and ways for sustaining and upscaling. The assessment showed that improved cultivars and improved agronomic practices resulted in significant increase in yield and income. ‘One village-One variety’ seed system led to quality seed supply not only in the project sites but also in adjacent villages. Innovative capacity development and commitments of stakeholders enriched knowledge and skills of pigeonpea’s cultivation that helped farmers in making appropriate choices. The result of the investment in two major pigeonpea activities namely improve pigeonpea production technology (IPPT) and seed production (SP) showed a robust investment gain computed at 308% or about four times increased from the ? 45 million ($900,000) invested in the project for two years.