Once driven by crop failure and migration, Betul’s villages are reclaiming agriculture through farmer-led natural farming

In the forest-fringed hills of Betul district, small tribal farmers have long struggled with erratic rainfall, declining soil fertility, and chronic crop failures. For years, these pressures forced many families to migrate in search of work. In the Saigohan watershed, however, farmers are leading an unexpected transformation.

What was once known for low productivity is now emerging as a living example of agroecological resilience. At the heart of this shift is National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development’s (NABARD) agroecology programme JIVA, implemented by non-profit Naman Seva Samiti (NSS) with technical support from non-profit WASSAN. The German development agency GIZ, through its initiative Support to Agroecological Transformation Processes in India (SuATI), provides financial support to agencies delivering support services under the JIVA programme. Together, these efforts have helped convert a watershed development project into a community-led natural farming movement.

Laying the foundation

The story begins with NABARD’s Watershed Development Fund programme, which focused on restoring degraded land in the villages of Saigohan, Naktidhana, and Jhirnadhana. A range of water conservation structures were built to arrest soil erosion and improve groundwater recharge. These included 309.81 running metres of continuous contour trenches, 1,976.9 running metres of staggered contour trenches, and 1,359 water absorption trenches. In addition, over 20,000 running metres of farm bunds, more than 32,000 running metres of stone bunds, and 244 stone outlets were constructed to safely manage excess runoff.

“These structures brought life back to 885 acres of land, benefiting around 280 farmers,” recalls Yuvraj Borban, Project Coordinator at NSS. A Farmer Producer Organisation and a watershed committee were also constituted. The JIVA programme was deliberately built upon the social and physical capital created under the watershed programme in Saigohan, Naktidhana, and Jhirnadhana.

“Under JIVA, we are now building fertility, biomass, and diversity on this base,” says Mugilal Kasdekar, president of the village watershed committee.

With soil moisture improving and water availability stabilising, NABARD introduced JIVA to deepen the ecological transition. The focus shifted from infrastructure to farming systems, with an emphasis on knowledge-intensive natural farming practices. Initial meetings across the three villages generated cautious interest. Around 50 farmers stepped forward in the first phase, each from different parts of the watershed, seeding natural farming practices in their respective locations.

New extension model with farmers as teachers

A defining feature of JIVA is its departure from conventional, expert-driven extension models. Instead, the programme prioritises farmer-to-farmer learning. In 2023, this approach was strengthened through the engagement of an External Farmer Resource Person (EFRP) from the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha under Andhra Pradesh’s Community Managed Natural Farming programme. The EFRP stayed in the village for an extended period to support farmers directly. Once local farmers gained confidence, Internal Farmer Resource Persons (IFRPs) were expected to emerge and champion the spread of practices by design.

In Saigohan, EFRP E Sudarshan worked closely with farmers for 120 days, training five Lead Farmers. Together, they planned crop models, formed clusters, and learned to prepare bio-inputs such as Drava Jeevamrutam, Ghana Jeevamrutam, Neemastra, Bramhastra, Dashparni, and others, tailored to local needs.

The impact was quickly visible. “When we saw vegetables growing without chemicals, it felt like a new world opening up for us,” says Namu Dhurve, now an Internal Farmer Resource Person. “Natural farming means bringing cows, trees, soil, and crops back together. That is real farming.”

IFRPs, the early practitioners convinced through experiential learning, play a critical role in spreading practices such as multi-cropping, mulching with organic matter, pre-monsoon dry sowing, use of local seeds, integration of livestock and poultry, fish rearing, and tree planting around farms. These practices reduce input costs while improving soil health, conserving water, and enhancing biodiversity.

Scaling through peer learning

By 2024, the movement had gained momentum. Each of the five Lead Farmers began mentoring around 40 farmers, creating a network of nearly 200 practitioners cultivating approximately 100 acres. Internal exposure visits within the watershed enabled farmers to observe diverse cropping systems and low-cost bio-input preparation in action.

Several “Star Farmers” emerged, including Madan Evane of Naktidhana, Ramesh Uike of Jhirnadhana, and Kamlesh Baraskar of Saigohan. Beyond their own fields, they support neighbouring farmers with input preparation, pest management, and crop planning.

Women, initially underrepresented, are now becoming central to the process. Parvati Baraskar of Saigohan has been trained as a Woman Farmer Resource Person. She mentors around 40 women in kitchen gardening and bio-input preparation, strengthening household nutrition while advancing gender inclusion within the programme.

Accountability through local institutions

Village Watershed Committees (VWC), formed during the earlier watershed project, provide the institutional backbone of the initiative. Registered as joint project implementation bodies, VWCs organise meetings, verify action plans, and certify fieldwork.

Lead Farmers receive a modest honorarium of Rs 5,000 per month, released only after certification of work done by the VWC president. Regular reviews and field visits by NABARD’s District Development Manager further support cross-learning and sharing.

“The farmer-to-farmer extension approach in the Saigohan watershed has transformed knowledge sharing into a community-driven process,” says Rahul Kushwah, District Development Manager, NABARD (Betul and Harda). “By empowering local farmers as change agents, the project ensures ownership, relevance, and sustainability.”

The numbers reflect a steady transition from awareness to deep practice. Participation has grown from 41 farmers in 2023-24 to 132 in 2025-26, including 63 women. As migration declines and farm-based livelihoods strengthen, farmers report earnings of Rs 30,000-Rs 35,000 per acre through diversified agriculture.

Village meetings are now well attended, experimentation is increasing, and knowledge circulates confidently within the community. “The watershed project taught us unity,” says Mugilal Kasdekar. “JIVA is teaching us how to bring life back to our crops and biodiversity.”

In Naktidhana, lead farmer Madan Evane uses social and cultural gatherings to spread the message. “After rituals, we talk about natural farming. People listen because they trust farmers more than outsiders,” he says.

Transitions led from within

Today, the landscape of the Saigohan watershed is marked by diversity—pearl millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet, groundnut, red gram, black gram, green gram, wheat, maize, sesame, vegetables, and green peas. Farmers sell fresh produce every Tuesday at the weekly haat in Jhallar, just five kilometres away.

The programme offers a compelling example of how government-supported initiatives can be designed to stimulate people-led movements in agroecology. In contrast to externally driven, input-subsidy-led extension approaches, the Saigohan experience shows that when farmers lead, agroecological transitions move faster and take deeper root.

In the hills of Betul, sustainable futures are being built not through chemicals or costly inputs, but through knowledge, experiential learning, community, and shared leadership.

The authors sincerely thank GIZ for their funding support. 

Aniket Likhar works as Regional Coordinator for Watershed Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN) in Nagpur, Maharashtra; Malyaj Srivastava works as a Programme Officer for WASSAN in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh; and Yuvraj Borban works as Project Coordinator at Naman Seva Samiti, Betul, Madhya Pradesh.

Views expressed are the authors' own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth