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Pakistan is basically agriculture based country. Seventy percent population is employed in agriculture especially in rural Sindh. The farmers get poor yield of crops due to lack of technical knowledge and non-availability of required inputs. They also lack the capacity to manage natural resources at their disposal and waste the potential. SRSO’s target population is primarily engaged in agricultural activity and therefore, the use and management of natural resources is indispensible to their livelihood. The natural resources that the target population employs are basically resources such as land, water, soil, plants and animals. However, they cannot maximize their profits since they lack the capacity to manage these resources productively. Natural resource management is concerned with the effective use of these resources with a particular focus on how their use affects the quality of life for both present and future generations
The NRM section works with COs, VOs and LSOs with the Government, UN Agencies such as the FAO and WFP, to link farmers with modern sources of information about such matters as increasing yields in a sustainable manner and reducing environmental impacts. In a changing environment, community members need to know how to improve their agricultural, livestock, poultry and kitchen gardening outputs in a sustainable manner.
Focusing on capacity building of the farmers NRM has well defined role to play for the following activities:
Poultry is an integrate part of rural households. These are reared for egg & meat purpose. However these birds are low production in terms of meat & egg rearing size and number. NRM envisages turning conventional rearing poultry into a cottage industry and later on commercial farming by training CO in poultry farming on modern lines and introducing highly productive poultry breeds (Fayoomi). These breeds are disease resistant, require less management practices and are good converter of feed into egg and produces eggs daily almost around year.
This activity has been designed with women community who are mainly involved in conventional poultry rearing practices. SRSO has built the capacity of target women communities to construction of poultry houses feed & diseases management.
Kitchen gardening is simple activity to undertake. The selection of a range of vegetables is carried out based on liking and profitability. Mostly tomato, chilies, carrot, radish are cultivated in the area. But due to lack of know-how to the farmers, they have not explored the high income generating activities like vegetables production and fruit rearing. To generate interest of the target group, NRM has introduced kitchen gardening at household level. NRM provide seed and training and supply vegetables seed packet for both Rabi and Kharif seasons.
Kitchen gardening is purely women led activity SRSO ensures women participation through mobilization. Skill enhancement is carried out through training and on site technical support..
To diversify and encourage complementing existing income generation source communities are mobilized to grow fruit trees at household level. NRM provides varieties of fruit plants to CO member i.e. Lemon, Ber, Falsa. Women are engaged in fruit planting specially at household level.
Successful crop production plays an important role in solving problems of food security as well as bringing economic development and poverty alleviation in the area. The success of producing good crops almost entirely depends upon availability better inputs better knowledge and choice of crops according to the area environments. Since majority of our population live in rural area their livelihood is fundamentality linked with agriculture and production good crops. Going through the results of the crop production in the target area, was concluded that increased crop yields with limited soils can also be achieved by the following two principles.
Use of quality Seed
Use of improved varieties of crops.
Use of tunnel farming.
NRM is providing the quality seeds and encouraging growers to go for the improved varieties of crops.
Livestock is a significant source of income for millions of families in Pakistan. SRSO distributed heifer Calves among rural communities to enhance productivity of milk and meat production. The main objective was to raise the standard of life of the poor rural communities by provide crossbred dairy heifers. It was expected that activities related to raising dairy cattle would be so involving that either the individual or the village community would improve and raise the living conditions around her or the community.Heifers were given on credit on condition that the farmer would give the first, weaned at 6-8 months, heifer to another identified farmer in the community.
