OAR@ICRISATMedicinal and Aromatic Plants for Diversifying Semi-Arid Tropical (SAT) Systems: A Case of Public Private Partnership (PPP).Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report No. 44 ChRavinder ReddyauthorS PWaniauthorL MReddyauthorG TReddyauthorPKopppulaauthorIn the community watersheds in Asia, with improved water availability farmers diversify their cropping systems with high-value crops for increasing the incomes through efficient use of water and other natural resources. International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is developing sustainable and economically productive livelihood opportunities in rural areas through crop diversification. To help small scale farmers, promising strategies for crop iversification are taken up by linking up with reliable partners who could provide support with production technology and market high-value medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) through public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The lead crops selected by farmers that are the focus of this case study include lemongrass (Cymbopogan flexuosus), coleus (Coleus forskolii), and Aswagandha (Withinia sominifera). The farmers in the project area were resource poor, facing constraints such as, poor infrastructure, unscrupulous middlemen, and absence of production technology and reliable market for their crops to increase their farm income. By introduction of MAPs through technical backstopping, capacity building, and marketing support from private industries, the partnership was developed to benefit farmers. As a result of this innovative partnership with private sector, farmers increased their farm income as compared to their conventional crops. In addition, rural employment was generated due to the need of post-harvest handling and processing of their crops, more profitable crops were grown, adding product value through village level processing. This holistic participatory process-oriented approach includes new science tools, linking on-station research to on-farm watersheds, thematic and technical backstopping tested successfully on pilot scale in SAT districts of Andhra Pradesh, India, under APRLP-ICRISAT Project. Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics2008International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Monograph

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