505.1 Monitoring and Evaluation
A 3-day workshop on ‘Monitoring and Evaluation’ (M&E) was convened in June 2019 at Jeypore for the staff working on three different projects supported by the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). The workshop was facilitated by Mr Prakash Kumar Layak, senior manager, Capacity Building Domain, ASK, Gurugram, and 25 staff members participated. The objective was to emphasize/strengthen the importance of project monitoring, develop the M&E plan for the respective projects they were working on and monitor project progress accordingly.
A 1-day meeting of economists and social scientists from across all programme areas was convened in early July 2019 to discuss the importance of generating quality data and project monitoring. The need for a separate M&E unit independent of the programme areas was emphasized by all present.
505.2 Concurrent Evaluation of Implementation of National Food Security Act in Puducherry Union Territory
The Department of Food and Public Distribution extended the engagement of MSSRF as the monitoring agency for concurrent evaluation of implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) and direct benefit transfer (DBT) in public distribution system (PDS) in Puducherry Union Territory (UT) for another year, that is, 2019–20. Concurrent evaluation was undertaken on a quarterly basis in all four census districts (Puducherry, Yanam, Mahe and Karaikal), covering one district in each quarter, and has been completed. The findings were shared with the district and UT officials for comments and the final reports submitted to the Department of Food and Public Distribution, government of India.
505.3 Study on Casual Factors Influencing Agriculture Land Use Patterns
The State Planning Commission, government of Tamil Nadu (recently renamed as State Development Policy Council), has entrusted a research study on ‘Casual Factors Influencing Agricultural Land Use Patterns in Central Tamil Nadu’ to MSSRF. The main objective of the study is to understand causal factors leading to the conversion of agricultural land to non-agriculture land and its impact on food security in Tamil Nadu. It also makes an attempt to understand the food availability scenario due to shift from agricultural land to non-agricultural usage in the selected districts of Tamil Nadu. The study was undertaken in Tiruchirapalli, Pudukottai and Karur districts in the central part of Tamil Nadu under the Cauvery Delta agro-climatic zone. Three blocks, namely, Annavasal (Pudukottai district), Uppiliyapuram (Tiruchirappalli district) and Karur (Karur district), were identified based on the rate of conversion of land from agriculture to other purposes during the past 15 years. Intensive study was conducted in the three blocks: Ariyur, Narthamalai and Ammachathiram gram panchayats in Annavasal; Okkarai, Kottapalayam and Erkudi gram panchayats in Uppiliyapuram; Vangal, Achamapuram and P. Kadambakurichi gram panchayats in Karur blocks. A total of 100 farmers were identified from three top villages under these panchayats, where the rate of agricultural land conversion was high during the past 5 years, and a survey was conducted with the sample households to understand the reasons for their converting their agricultural land into non-agricultural land during the past 15 years. In addition to household survey, focus group discussions with farmer groups and discussions with farmer organization representatives, government officials and real-estate brokers were also held to get the complete picture.
Uncertain water availability, inability to meet expenditure (including education and health) from agricultural income, high value of land and non-farm employment opportunities emerge as the four major reasons for the conversion of agriculture land. Diminishing scope for earning good income from the land was the major push factor for this conversion across the three blocks. Apart from the field study, a food availability prediction model has been developed for rice, maize, green gram and black gram for Tamil Nadu. This model gives the status of availability of selected food crops in 2020 and 2050 – and draws attention to the decline in availability in the future.