The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) of the Government of India mandated the establishment of Krishi Vigyan Kendras as grassroots level Farm Science Centres designed to bridge the gap between available technologies at one end and their application for increased production at the other, with the object of bringing about sustainable integrated rural development, through a multi disciplinary approach. Krishi Vigyan Kendra was established in the year 1992 in Erode District of Tamil Nadu as a partnership between Myrada, an NGO and the ICAR.
Myrada KVK emphasizes participatory research for technology development, and the promotion people’s institutions to plan, execute, manage and finance programmes, in a sustainable manner.
As per the present mandate of the ICAR, the activities of the MKVK are:
· On Farm Testing
· Front Line Demonstration
· Training to Farmers, Rural Youths (men and women) and Extension Functionaries
· Extension activities
Myrada KVK works with appropriate people’s institutions – especially with small and marginal farmers in drylands, women and young people who have dropped out of formal education. The sectors where MKVK is active include natural resources management, sustainable livelihoods, integrated farm development, sustainable sanitation and water management, sustainable agriculture – especially in drylands, fair marketing systems, livestock management, participatory learning and publications.
Aim to secure : Sustainable Livelihoods for the Rural Poor
We help to build and strengthen Community Based Institutions
- To empower people through giving them experience in governance (by government their own institutions).
- To create the basis for participatory, transparent, responsible, and accountable transactions related to programmes and finance.
- To enable the creation of capital over which people have directly authority and control.
- To establish the basis for linkages with other institutions.
We support the growth of capital in the hands of people
- Social capital in the form of networks of relationship strengthened by knowledge, skills and experience.
We support the development of a more secure resource base
- Integrated management of farms and other natural resources (oils, crops, water, livestock, homesteads, etc).
- Development of new resources (irrigation, biomass, etc).
- Promotion of non-farm livelihoods.
- Enhancement of service accessibility (credit, inputs, markets, etc).
- Training programmes to share information and build and strengthen skills in relation to all of the above.
- Establishment of functional linkages between people’s institutions and other resource institutions.
