How Exactly is Cauvery Calling Helping Farmers Plant Trees on Their Land

Distribution of seedlings raised in nurseries run by Cauvery Calling:

1. There are 4 production nurseries, where lakhs of seedlings (timber + non-timber) are raised every year. These are distributed to beneficiaries at highly subsidised rates through 27 distribution points.
2. Thousands of farmers have taken seedlings through this model. Technical know-how is shared with farmers through brochures, 12x7 helpline (80009-80009) and a trained team who visit the farmer’s field and guide them on the spot as required.
3. Entire cost is borne by Isha Outreach through donations raised from individual and corporate donors.

Production and distribution of seedlings by highly motivated farmers who have been associated with Isha’s agriculture-related activities for many years:

1. Pilot farmers are raising lakhs of seedlings to be distributed across all 37 districts of Tamil Nadu.
2. The entire cost is borne by Isha Outreach through donations raised from individual and corporate donors.

Working with state governments for promotion of tree planting and care through existing government schemes like Krishi Aranya Protsaha Yojane (KAPY), Raising of Seedlings for Public Distribution (RSPD),Individual Beneficiary Farm Forestry under National:

1. End-to-end tracking of tree plantation has been enabled through a state-of-the-art IT solution which seeks to smoothen the process for farmers to benefit from various government schemes. The steps include species-wise demand collection for each farmer in advance, raising of seedlings by the forest department nurseries as per farmer demand, distribution of seedlings to farmers, collection of proof of plantation through geo-tagged photographs and tracking the survival through repeated geo-tagged photographs.
2. Trained, incentivised village youth at the Gram Panchayat level called Mara Mitras hand-hold farmers through the various steps outlined above using a mobile app.
3. Lakhs of seedlings raised by the Forest Department of Karnataka are distributed to tens of thousands of farmers under RSPD / KAPY in 9 Cauvery basin districts of Karnataka.
4. Lakhs of seedlings are distributed to farmers under NREGA farm forestry in 9 Cauvery basin districts.
5. Cost of raising seedlings and giving financial support to farmers is borne by the Government of Karnataka through various budgetary allocations under RSPD /KAPY/ NREGA.
6. Cost of hand-holding the farmer through IT solution and Mara Mitras is borne by Isha Outreach through funds raised through individual and corporate donations.

Acting as a catalyst for the promotion of existing government schemes like Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF):

1. Lakhs of seedlings were raised for Tamil Nadu farmers by the Government of Tamil Nadu through a budget provided under the Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF) through joint efforts of the Department of Agriculture, Forest Department and Isha Outreach.