In the forest-fringed hills of Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district, villages once marked by crop failures, soil exhaustion and distress migration are quietly reclaiming their agricultural future. In the Saigohan watershed, farmer-led natural farming has begun to reverse years of ecological decline, turning a struggling landscape into a living example of agroecological resilience.
For decades, small tribal farmers in villages like Saigohan, Naktidhana and Jhirnadhana battled erratic rainfall, falling groundwater levels and rising input costs. Repeated crop losses pushed many families to migrate in search of work. Today, that cycle is weakening as farmers themselves take charge of rebuilding soil health, restoring water systems and reshaping local livelihoods.
The transformation is rooted in NABARD’s Watershed Development Fund programme, which laid the physical foundation by restoring degraded land and conserving water. A dense network of contour trenches, water absorption trenches, farm bunds and stone structures was created to reduce soil erosion and recharge groundwater. These interventions revived nearly 885 acres of land and directly benefited around 280 farmers, restoring confidence in agriculture as a viable livelihood.
Building on this base, NABARD introduced its agroecology programme JIVA, implemented by Naman Seva Samiti with technical support from WASSAN and financial backing from the German development agency GIZ through its SuATI initiative. What began as a watershed project gradually evolved into a community-led natural farming movement, shifting the focus from infrastructure to knowledge-intensive, low-cost farming systems.
Unlike conventional extension models driven by external experts, JIVA places farmers at the centre of learning and decision-making. Initial village meetings sparked cautious interest, with around 50 farmers stepping forward to experiment with natural farming. These early adopters became anchors for change across different parts of the watershed.
A key turning point came with the introduction of a farmer-to-farmer extension model. An External Farmer Resource Person from Andhra Pradesh’s Community Managed Natural Farming programme lived in the village for several months, working closely with farmers to build confidence and practical skills. Local farmers were trained to become Internal Farmer Resource Persons, ensuring that knowledge remained within the community and spread organically.
Natural inputs such as Jeevamrutam, Neemastra and Dashparni replaced chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Multi-cropping, mulching, dry sowing before monsoon, use of local seeds, livestock integration and tree planting reshaped farm ecology. Farmers report lower input costs, healthier soils and more resilient crops, even under variable weather conditions.
As practices spread, peer learning became the engine of scale. By 2024, five lead farmers were mentoring nearly 200 others across about 100 acres. Exposure visits within the watershed allowed farmers to see diverse cropping systems and bio-input preparation firsthand. Trusted “star farmers” emerged, supporting neighbours with pest management, crop planning and input preparation.
Women, initially on the margins, are now central to the process. Trained as resource persons, women farmers are leading kitchen gardening, seed conservation and bio-input preparation, strengthening household nutrition while expanding their role in local decision-making.
Local institutions have played a crucial role in maintaining accountability and ownership. Village Watershed Committees verify plans, certify work and ensure transparency. Modest honorariums for lead farmers are tied to performance, reinforcing responsibility and trust. Regular field reviews by NABARD officials have further strengthened learning and coordination.
The results are visible both on farms and in households. Participation has grown steadily, with more than 130 farmers involved by 2025–26, including a significant number of women. Diversified farming systems are generating incomes of Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 per acre, while seasonal migration is declining as work stabilises closer to home.
Fields across the Saigohan watershed now host a mosaic of millets, pulses, oilseeds, cereals and vegetables. Weekly markets provide nearby outlets for fresh produce, reinforcing local food systems. Just as importantly, village meetings are better attended, experimentation is encouraged and farming knowledge circulates confidently within the community.
The experience of Betul offers a powerful lesson for agricultural policy. When farmers are treated not as beneficiaries but as leaders, agroecological transitions deepen and endure. In these hills, sustainable futures are being built not through chemical inputs or subsidies, but through shared knowledge, collective action and trust in farmers’ own wisdom.