Apparently, empowering the Farmers is having a strong positive, impact on Sindh’s Agriculture sector. This is a big step towards eliminating Feudalism, and towards self help. The Farmers are cooperating, producing higher yields, getting what needs to be done, done. I dont know about you guys, but this sounds really exciting to me. There haven;t been to many successes in Sindh in a long time. Hopefully the other provinces, escpecially Punjab will emulate Sindh;s example… Hope for the best :k:
Revolutionary changes in Sindh’s farming sector
http://www.dawn.com/2002/09/16/ebr16.htm
By Zafar Samdani
A remarkable, indeed a revolutionary, change is building up on the farmlands of Sindh. The end is empowerment of farmers for managing their affairs and resolving their problems in a democratic manner. This contrasts with feudalism and, on the surface, suggests that a classical clash between traditional power-brokers and basic stakeholders could be in the offing. But the most notable aspect of this change is a smooth transition from one order to another.
The move is on in Punjab and NWFP also but not with the intensity of Sindh. The latter province is not confronted with the kind of problems of Punjab and Sindh and even a slow pace should produce results. Resistance to change marks Punjab’s landscape. Irrigation authorities rather than big landowners appear to be the reluctant to move forward.
All the three provinces have one project where farmer’s organizations have been set up but Sindh has interpreted the programme differently and gone far beyond pilots by establishing area water boards on all the five canals that irrigate the province. All indications point towards the completion of all the phases in Sindh by end next year and total handing over of management of issues like water distribution and collection of abiana, among other responsibilities, by end next year. This would go a long way towards removing the drainage irritant as well as strengthening sustainable agriculture.
A two-day workshop on ‘Change Management’ held in Karachi with the highest-level participation from the Sindh government underlined the reasons for the programme’s success in the province; an earlier effort in Punjab had to be postponed more than once and when it materialized, neither the participation nor the outcome was report worthy.
Organized by the United Nation’s Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the Governor of Sindh, Mr. Mohammadmian Soomro, inaugurated the workshop while the concluding session was presided by the Chief Secretary of the province, K.B.Rind. Brig Abdul Haq Sindh Coordinator for the National Drainage Programme (NDP) remained involved in the proceedings all through the proceedings. Senior provincial officials with economic background also participated in the workshop. They had all come fully prepared and produced convincing arguments and extended all support for the transfer of management to the farmers’ organizations.
High-ranking officials from other provinces also participated. However, the real and most important participants were farmers including the heads of farmers’ organizations. Mian Abdul Waheed. Their contribution to the workshop informed of the prevailing state of affairs and of achievements, prospects and pitfalls in the process of empowering farmers.
UNOPS is conducting a series of training programmers to position officials and farmers for dealing with the change as part of the NDP that aims at channeling effluent into the sea. Empowerment of farmers through building their organizations is one of the basic components of NDP. UNOPS’ team leader, Dr. M. Shafiq, a renowned water sector expert who has served in a number of international organizations in Pakistan and abroad is managing the training component.
The two farming sector leaders, both duly elected, produced revealing and highly encouraging reports of developments in their sector that provided evidence of a great reservoir of ability and commitment at the grass roots level for resolving complex issues and managing framers affairs.
The government has been stressing devolution of authority and dismantled the existing administrative system to put in place an experimental design but it needs to back the farm sector democracy and self-administration to obtain really effective results. These organizations can be used as role models for devolution and also for pinpointing areas where governmental support is required.
Farmer organization’s leader from Nara canal area Sayed Ali Gohar Shah informed that 18 FO’s have so far signed an agreement with the Sindh government but this does not give any indication of the scale of things as a total of 14,000 FOs are to be formed in the province. The already working organizations have 60-40 distribution percentage with the government for Abiana collection made by farmers. FO retains its 40 per cent share and passes on the remaining amount to the Area Water Board.
In Punjab, the full amount is transferred to the Punjab Irrigation and Development Agency (PIDA); FO’s share is paid later. This can take months; the arrangement works to the detriment of the administration managed by the farmers.
There was no problem of coordination between the FO and government agencies in Sindh, Gohar Ali Shah said and added that farmers were hopeful of establishing a Council of Farmer’s Organizations by the year 2003 as a platform for collectively raising the farming community’s voice and taking up its issues. The FO in Nara was aware of water shortage, was maintaining records and resolving disputes between farmers. It planned to coordinate with other provinces so that a joint approach could be evolved and adopted for tackling inter-provincial issues.
As far as the farmers are concerned, the view from Hakra 4, outside the NDP was the same except that there seems a lack of coordination between the concerned FO and PIDA; the two had not been able to hold even one meeting so far and there were delays in paying the FO’s share from abiana collection. Punjab’s representative at the workshop tried to clarify the position but apparently there is need for streamlining the act.
Hakra 4 FO had not only increased abiana collection, it had also been able to settle farmers disputes, enlist their whole hearted support for development activities such as cleaning of the canal and had over 100 tractors and about one thousand farmers available for the job when it was carried out the last time. The list of the FO’s achievements seems long and impressive and its performance so far promises a lot more. But the promise is likely to remain unfulfilled unless Punjab supports change with the commitment of Sindh. Here is a clear case of the need for the bigger province emulating the example of a smaller one.