Learnings on supporting CASI service provision

During the course of ‘Roadmaps’, a particular emphasis has been put on understanding the context of service providers as necessary intermediaries in enable mechanisation for farmers. To explore this, we have undertaken several explorations of how to support service providers become CASI orientated.

From Roadmaps, we explored with current non-CASI service providers in Province 1 and 2 why they do not provide CASI services. This ‘Roadmaps Service provider study’ is currently being finalised and will be available shortly. For more information, please contact the lead author, Dr. Brendan Brown b.brown@cgiar.org, CIMMYT-Nepal).
The highlights are:
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In associated projects, we have also explored the context of service provision, both for Rabi and Kharif Zero Tillage.

Working with CSISA, we explored the context of providing Direct Seeded Rice services in Bihar. This highlighted that limited service provision is not just a factor of the technology (DSR) but of various issues with being a service provider more generally.

This manuscript is currently under review. To request a pre-print, please contact the lead author, Dr. Brendan Brown (b.brown@cgiar.org, CIMMYT-Nepal).

Highlights of the manuscript:

Limited service provision is a key constraint to Scaling Direct Seeded Rice.
No work explores why Zero Tillage Drill owners don’t use it for Rice.
Issues exist with both technology and generically providing services.
Collectivism or service packaging may resolve some of these issues.
Novel framework provides unique qualitative analysis on decision making

Working with SRFSI, we explored the context of providing CASI services in communities across the Eastern Gangetic Plains. This involved semi-structured interviews with X CASI service providers.

This manuscript is currently being finalised. To request a pre-print, please contact the lead Author, Akriti Sharma (a.sharma@cgiar.org).

Highlights of the manuscript:

Smallholders broadly will not be able to invest personally in agricultural machinery.
In order to aggress this, fee for hire SP has emerged as a way to create new economic opportunities for both those who can afford machinery and those who cannot.
ZTSP benefits service providers through increased profits and lifestyle changes.
ZTSPs were seen to have relatively better access to information.
Constraints for ZTSP included technological issues and operator and lack of after-sales services.
Some ZTSPs also had issues managing their alternative livelihood options.
We explore Service provider’s perception of their community demand and how the aforementioned reasons influence CASI practices and ZTSP expansion in the EGP.

… for more productive, profitable and resilient farming systems

The SRFSI project is a regional research for development collaboration of more than 30 partners, focused on the Eastern Gangetic Plains.